THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  Helen  A.  Dillon 


Gunnarsson,  born  in  Icej 
land  in  1889,  learned  Danj 
ish  in  order  to  secure  a 
wider  reading  public,  since 
Icelandic — the  ancient  lan- 
guage of  Scandinavia — is 
learned  by  very  few  Danes. 
His  feat,  therefore,  is  com- 
parable to  Joseph  Conrad's 
in  learning  English ;  the  re- 
semblance goes  even  fur- 
ther, for  Gunnarsson,  like 
Conrad,  is  now  one  of  the 
most  widely  read  authors 
of  his  adopted  land. 


Back  to  the  grey  days,  or  the  gay 
days — according  to  whether  or  not  one 
has  eaten  red  meat  for  breakfast  — 
when  the  vikings  infested  British 
swamps,  toured  Iceland  in  summer, 
killed  bulls  and  serfwomen  for  the 
sacrifice,  and  buried  the  swords  of 
their  dead  relations  with  them,  lest 
their  feuds  live  after.  Gunnar  Gun- 
narsson,  authentic  descendant  of  the 
saga  heroes,  digs  down  into  the  pock- 
ets of  his  ancestors  and  finds  treas- 
ures of  virtue.  Lief  and  Ingolf,  who 
swore  brotherhood  at  the  spring  festi- 
val, letting  their  blood  mingle  on  the 
brown  scarred  earth,  fight  the  sons  of 
Atle  Jarl  for  supremacy  in  the  home- 
land and  are  driven  out.  Taking  their 
wives,  cattle,  and  the  carved  pillars  of 
the  chief-seat  aboard  their  high- 
prowed  boats  they  set  sail  for  Iceland, 
and  here  Lief  who  would  not  sacrifice 
to  the  gods  is  killed.  A  stern,  robust 
panorama  of  living,  with  always  the 
wing  of  an  implacable  fate  hovering 
over.  "The  Sworn  Brothers"  is  one  of 
the  Gyldendal  books  now  being 
brought  out  in  this  country  by  Alfred 
A.  Knopf. 


THE  SWORN 
BROTHERS 


THE    BORZOI-GYLDENDAL    BOOKS 

THE  firm  of  Gyldendal  [Gyldendalske 
Boghandel  Nordisk  Forlag]  is  the  old- 
est and  greatest  publishing  house  in 
Scandinavia,  and  has  been  responsible,  since  its 
inception  in  1770,  for  giving  to  the  world  some 
of  the  greatest  Danish  and  Norwegian  writers 
of  three  centuries.  Among  them  are  such 
names  as  Ibsen,  Bj^rnstjerne  Bj0rnson,  Pon- 
toppidan,  Brandes,  Giiellerup,  Hans  Christian 
Andersen,  and  Knut  Hamsun,  the  Nobel  Prize 
winner  for  1920,  whose  works  I  am  publishing 
In  America. 

It  is  therefore  with  particular  satisfaction 
that  I  announce  the  completion  of  arrange- 
ments whereby  I  shall  bring  out  in  this  country 
certain  of  the  publications  of  this  famous 
house.  The  books  listed  below  are  the  first  of 
the  Borzov-Oyldendal  books. 

Jenny 

A  novel  translated  from  the  Norwe- 
gian of  Sigrid  Undset  by  W.  Emme. 

Grim:  the  Story  of  a  Pike 

Translated  from  the  Danish  of  Svend 
Fleuron  by  Jessie  Muir  and  W. 
Emme. 

Illustrated  in  black  and  white  by 
Dorothy  P.  Lathrop. 

The  Sworn  Brothers 


ALFRED  A.  KNOPF,  Publisher,  NEW  YORK 


THE 
SWORN  BROTHERS 

A  TALE   OF  THE   EARLY   DAYS  OF  ICELAND 
TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  DANISH  OF 

GUNNAR    GUNNARSSON 

BY   C.   FIELD   AND    W.    EM  ME 


NEW  YORK 

ALFRED  •  A  •  KNOPF 
1921 


COPYRIGHT,  1918,  BY 
GUNNAR  GUNNARSSON 

COPYRIGHT,  1921,  BY 
ALFRED  A.  KNOPF,  INC. 


FEINTED    IN    TIIE    UNITED    STATES    OF   AMERICA 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

BOOK  I 1 

BOOK  II 109 

BOOK  III  .  .   221 


1062197 


BOOK   I 


IN  the  red  light  of  the  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  hall,  the 
age-browned  pillars  of  the  high-seat  stood  forth 
strongly  lit  in  the  middle  of  the  main  wall,  against  the 
background  of  smoky  darkness  which  spread  behind. 
The  bright  glow  threw  into  relief  the  carved  images  of 
the  gods,  weird  and  grotesque  shapes  which  kept  chang- 
ing as  the  fire  blazed  up  or  sank  in  its  embers. 

Upon  the  broad  seat  between  the  pillars  of  the  high- 
seat,  with  the  dragon-ornaments  and  gaping  beast-heads 
of  its  back  towering  above  and  behind,  sat  Orn,  a  broad, 
grey-haired  warrior,  leaning  forward  over  the  table,  his 
strong,  coarse  fingers  buried  in  his  thick,  white  beard. 
Upon  the  table  at  his  side  stood  a  great  carved  drinking 
horn.  Orn  sat  in  silence.  It  was  seldom  that  he  drank 
much  in  the  evening. 

One  step  below,  and  opposite  him,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fire,  was  the  table  round  which  his  men-servants  sat. 
Only  now  and  then  a  low-voiced  exchange  of  words  be- 
tween man  and  man  broke  the  silence  of  the  hall.  Other- 
wise there  reigned  an  oppressive  stillness.  Often  they 
glanced  towards  him,  but  each  time  looked  uneasily  at 
one  another  afterwards.  For  he  sat  very  still,  with  a 
3 


4  THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

fixed,  absent  look  in  his  eyes.  A  shiver  passed  through 
them  as  they  thought  that  perhaps  he  saw  something 
which  they  could  not  see.  It  was  not  comfortable  in  the 
hall  that  evening.  All  the  more  swift  was  the  circula- 
tion of  the  beer-mugs.  But  they  were  not  set  down  on 
the  tables  with  a  bang,  as  was  the  rule  when  they  were 
empty,  but  cautiously  placed  on  one  side. 

On  a  dais  at  the  end  of  the  hall,  farthest  removed 
from  the  entrance  door,  sat  women  at  work,  spinning 
and  carding  wool  in  silence.  For  once  silence  prevailed 
on  the  women's  dais.  Only  a  faint  rustle  was  heard 
now  and  then  when  one  of  them  rose  to  help  another  or 
to  fetch  more  wool. 

The  only  one  who  did  not  feel  depressed  by  the  silence 
in  the  hall  was  a  fourteen-year-old  boy,  seated  at  the 
table  right  opposite  the  high-seat  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fire.  He  was  content  to  make  holiday  by  sitting 
quietly  with  his  thoughts,  and  felt  easy  and  unoccupied 
in  mind.  He  sat  quite  still,  letting  his  gaze  linger  alter- 
nately on  his  father  and  the  pillars  of  the  seat.  He  had 
little  resemblance  to  the  stalwart  figures  round  him. 
His  skin  was  as  clear  as  a  young  girl's,  and  his  long, 
bright  yellow  hair  fell  in  heavy  locks  over  his  neck.  On 
his  face,  with  its  regular  features,  there  lay  an  expres- 
sion of  peculiar  calm.  The  mouth  under  his  straight 
nose  appeared  firm  and  composed.  The  look  of  his  blue 
eyes  was  tranquil  and  fixed. 

It  was  Ingolf,  Orn's  son.  He  often  sat  thus,  espe- 
cially of  an  evening.  His  attention  was  particularly 
taken  up  by  the  pillars  of  the  high-seat.  They  seemed 
so  strangely  alive  in  the  red  light  of  the  evening  fire. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  5 

By  day  they  were  quite  dead.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
breath  of  the  gods  had  crept  into  the  hard,  dry  wood. 
Perhaps  the  gods  slept  by  day,  or  had  they  possibly 
flown  on  adventures  to  other  countries  and  lands  ?  The 
gods  had  tiresome  habits,  for  all  that  they  were  gods ; 
one  never  knew  exactly  where  to  find  them.  Anyhow, 
the  pillars  stood  by  day  as  though  they  were  empty. 

But  in  the  evening  they  came  to  life  again.  Either 
the  gods  returned,  or  breath  issued  at  any  rate  from  the 
inner  part  of  the  wood  and  seemed  to  wander  over  the 
surface. 

Already  in  the  gloaming,  when  shadows  were  gather- 
ing in  the  deep  carving,  they  began  to  live. 

But  it  was  a  strange,  deceitful,  and  threatening  life, 
as  though  the  gods  were  ill-humoured  on  first  awaken- 
ing, as  men  are  sometimes  in  the  early  morning  hours. 
Ingolf  did  not  like  to  stay  alone  in  the  hall  in  the  eve- 
ning before  the  fire  was  lit.  He  had  a  certain  conscious- 
ness of  the  gods'  discontent  in  the  twilight,  and  felt  by 
no  means  sure  that  they  might  not  cherish  some  evil  pur- 
pose. And  when  the  gods  were  wroth  or  morose  it  was 
best  to  keep  at  a  respectful  distance.  But  as  soon  as 
the  fire  was  kindled  on  the  hearthstones,  it  became  bright 
and  comfortable  in  the  hall.  The  fire  sputtered  with  a 
cheerful  crackling  which  seemed  as  though  it  were  chat- 
ting pleasantly  with  the  gods ;  it  blazed  up  and  cast  its 
bright  light  over  them,  and  diffused  a  kindly  penetrating 
warmth.  Then  the  gods  recovered  their  good-humour; 
they  smiled  openly,  and  their  eyes  grew  somewhat  more 
friendly. 

Then  one  ventured  to  look  at  them  calmly  and  to  sit 


6  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

near  them.  Ingolf  liked  to  sit  quietly  and  look  at  the 
images  carved  on  the  pillars.  Certainly  those  in  the 
temple  were  far  more  splendid,  decked  as  they  were  with 
costly  clothes  and  heavy  rings  of  gold  and  other  valu- 
able metals.  But  the  gods  in  the  temple  were  those  to 
whom  they  prayed  at  solemn  festivals  and  offered  sacri- 
fices. It  required  enormous  daring  to  approach  them, 
for  one  hardly  ever  saw  them,  and  knew  them  but  little. 
Although  they  were  the  same  gods,  they  seemed 
strangely  distant  in  the  sanctity  of  the  temple.  The 
gods  on  the  pillars  of  the  high-seat,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  house-gods.  He  had  grown  up  in  their  company, 
he  had  seen  them  in  daily  intercourse,  as  far  back  as  he 
could  remember.  He  had  long  been  confidential  with 
them ;  they  were  his  and  the  family's  friends.  They 
were  quiet  and  peaceful  and  made  no  demands.  Maybe 
they  had  fits  of  ill-temper  in  the  evenings.  But  for  the 
most  part  they  were  almost  like  men,  saving,  of  course, 
that  as  gods  they  were  naturally  higher  than  men. 

But  one  ventured  —  it  was  indeed  a  duty  —  to  count 
them  as  friends,  as  belonging  in  some  degree  to  the 
family.  One  could  safely  rely  upon  them,  and  that 
led  to  everyday  familiar  intercourse  with  them. 

They  constituted,  besides,  so  to  speak,  the  axis  of  the 
home.  They  were  the  immovable  real  centre  round 
which  aU  things  revolved.  They  were  the  persisting 
element.  They  were  the  visible  sign  of  the  family  and 
of  the  family's  continuance. 

They  had  become  dark  brown  in  the  course  of  time, 
nay,  almost  black,  and  hard  as  stones  from  age.  Ingolf 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  7 

knew  well  how  they  felt.  He  had  once,  after  a  long  in- 
ward struggle,  ventured  to  touch  them. 

And  it  was  not  strange  that  old  age  could  be  both 
felt  and  seen  in  them.  For  no  one  knew  how  old  they 
were,  or  whether  indeed  they  had  any  age  at  all. 
Whether  they  were  of  the  race  of  gods  or  men  was  there- 
fore doubtful.  From  time  immemorial  they  had  be- 
longed to  the  family.  They  had  passed  by  inheritance 
from  father  to  eldest  son  since  as  far  back  as  there  was 
any  tradition,  probably  from  the  earliest  dawn  of  time. 
The  pillar  on  the  right  of  the  throne  represented  Odin, 
the  All-Father,  the  old,  one-eyed,  and  wise.  His  ravens, 
Hugin  and  Mugin,  sat  on  his  shoulders  and  whispered 
wisdom  and  knowledge  to  him.  The  ravens  told  him 
everything,  past  and  future.  So  wise  was  Odin  that 
nothing  found  him  unprepared. 

Odin  was  the  Head  of  the  Gods,  consequently  the  most 
important  to  have  as  a  friend.  The  place  on  the  right 
side  of  the  high-seat  belonged  justly  to  him.  The  pillar 
on  the  left  side  represented  Thor,  the  Wielder  of  the 
Hammer,  the  slayer  of  giants,  the  one  whose  goats  amid 
thunder-claps  kicked  fire  from  heaven  when  he  drove 
to  battle  with  the  giants.  Proudly  stood  Age-Thor, 
with  his  legs  planted  wide  apart,  his  arm  lifted  up  to 
smite,  and  in  the  bent  fingers  of  his  mighty  hand  he 
gripped  the  hammer,  M joiner. 

And  there  in  the  chief  seat,  on  whose  brown,  worn 
plank  only  the  cushions  and  the  sitters  changed,  sat  his 
father.  Ay,  there  he  sat,  cheerful  and  comfortable  be- 
tween his  gods. 


8  THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

Every  evening  he  sat  there,  when  he  was  not  out 
journeying  or  visiting,  with  his  men  sitting  at  tables 
round  him,  a  step  lower  down.  He  sat  calmly,  strok- 
ing with  weather-tanned  fingers  his  thick,  white  beard, 
talked  wisely,  or  was  silent.  There  he  sat  at  the  feast 
with  the  chief  guest  by  his  side.  And  when  it  chanced 
that  he  raised  his  voice,  his  ringing  tones  filled  the  hall, 
and  an  attentive  silence  prevailed  as  far  as  the  outer- 
most seats.  Though  his  father,  Orn,  did  not  often  talk 
in  a  loud  voice,  yet  when  he  did,  what  he  said  was 
weighty.  He  seemed  then  to  Ingolf  to  have  a  certain 
resemblance  to  Thor,  especially  when  he  raised  his 
powerful  clenched  fists  over  his  shaggy  head.  Other- 
wise, when  he  sat  silent  and  meditated,  he  reminded  him 
most  of  Odin,  except  that  he  had  two  eyes. 

In  the  chief  seat  his  father  was  at  home.  There  he 
sat,  friendly  and  comfortable  in  the  place  of  his  ances- 
tors. There  had  sat  his  grandfather,  Bjornulf,  who 
together  with  his  brother,  Roald,  had  been  obliged  to 
quit  the  old  family  estate  in  Telemarken  on  account  of 
having  slain  a  man.  And  there  had  sat  also  before  him, 
his  father,  Romund  Greippson.  All  high-spirited, 
strong  men,  whose  names  were  remembered  with  rever- 
ence. 

And  some  day  he  himself  would  sit  there.     And  after  ^ 
him    again    his    son,    and   his    son's    son.     Generation  i 
after  generation,  family  after  family,   till  the  earth 
vanished. 

Whenever  he  thought  of  the  time  when  his  father  ) 
would  be  no  more,  and  he  himself  should  assume  the 
place  between  the  throne-pillars,  his  cheeks  flamed,  and 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  9 

a  strange,  anxious  shudder  robbed  him  of  strength  and 
will-power. 

It  was  this  knowledge  that  he  would  have  to  assume 
a  responsibility,  and  one  which  he  had  long  ago  sworn 
to  sustain  with  honour,  and  which  he  waited  to  assume 
with  a  mixture  of  joy  and  suspense,  that  had  impressed 
on  his  countenance  a  composure  and  on  his  whole  nature 
and  bearing  an  air  of  assurance  far  beyond  his  years. 
Even  before  his  bones  had  fairly  hardened,  he  had  had 
impressed  on  him  by  his  mother,  whom  he  now  only 
indistinctly  remembered,  who  he  was  and  what  he  should 
become.  With  his  mother's  milk  he  had  imbibed  the 
unbroken  traditions  of  the  family.  Before  he  under- 
stood what  was  really  involved,  he  had  learnt  to  under- 
stand that  his  life  was  only  partly  his  own.  Already, 
for  a  long  time  past,  it  had  become  clear  to  him,  that 
not  only  his  own,  but  the  honour  of  the  dead  and  the 
unborn  was  committed  to  his  hand.  For  a  man  without 
honour  cast  shadows  on  two  sides.  Both  his  ancestors 
and  his  descendants  had  a  peremptory  claim  on  him  — 
the  claim  of  honour. 

And  he  had  no  intention  of  disappointing  either  him- 
self, the  dead,  or  the  unborn.  Just  then  it  was  very 
quiet  in  the  hall.  The  confidential  crackling  of  the  fire 
was  the  only  sound  audible. 

Then  suddenly  came  the  sound  of  tramping  steps 
without.  Orn  raised  his  head  and  was  again  wide 
awake.  All  sat  still  and  listened.  There  was  a  knock 
at  the  door.  Orn  made  a  sign  to  the  porter,  who 
pushed  back  the  bolt,  and  in  came  Rodmar,  Orn's  kins- 
man, followed  by  his  son,  Leif,  and  some  servants. 


io          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

The  peace  and  quiet  of  the  hall  was  suddenly  inter- 
rupted. Orn  rose  with  a  dignified  air.  Stately  of 
mien,  he  left  the  high-seat  and  went  to  meet  his  relative. 
His  ceremonious  "  Welcome,  cousin,"  sounded  cheerful 
and  hearty.  Ingolf  sprang  up  and  ran  round  behind 
the  seats  to  meet  Leif.  He  greeted  his  relative,  who 
was  his  junior  by  two  years,  with  a  kiss  and  very  sincere 
friendliness. 

Orn  laid  both  his  hands  heavily  on  Rodmar's  shoul- 
ders. "  I  was  sure  you  would  come,  cousin." 

"  Such  important  news  should  be  looked  into,"  an- 
swered Rodmar  seriously.  "  We  have  had  prosperous 
though  chequered  years.  What  will  happen  now?  " 

"  The  good  times  are  passed,"  answered  Orn  gloomily. 
"  I  guess  what  will  happen.  Follow  me  to  the  high- 
seat,  cousin." 

Orn  seated  Rodmar  at  his  side,  and  called  for  fresh 
beer.  They  drank  to  each  other  with  deep  draughts. 
When  Rodmar  had  sucked  his  beard  dry,  he  turned  to 
his  kinsman,  who  was  a  little  older  than  himself,  and 
asked :  "  Do  you  think  there  will  be  trouble  in  the 
country?  " 

"  Trouble  there  will  be,"  answered  Orn,  speaking 
slowly  and  solemnly.  "  After  peace  and  prosperous 
years  follow  hard  times.  We  have  had  the  good  times ; 
now  we  shall  have  to  face  the  bad.  Only  it  may  be 
that  the  struggle  will  not  reach  these  parts.  We  are 
getting  old,  Rodmar.  Our  swords  are  rusty,  our  arms 
stiff.  And  our  sons  are  at  the  worst  age  possible  — 
old  enough  to  entangle  themselves  in  difficulties,  not 
old  enough  to  manage  them." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  n 

"  I  see  that  you  cherish  fears  for  the  future,  cousin. 
What  do  you  advise?  " 

"  I  advise  that  you  stay  here  with  Leif  and  as  many 
of  your  servants  as  can  be  safely  spared  from  home. 
We  should  be  prepared  for  everything.  In  times  like 
these  most  unexpected  things  can  happen." 

"  I  will  follow  your  advice,  as  I  always  did.  Do 
you  think  of  seeking  light  on  the  future  from  the 
gods?" 

"  One  should  not  trouble  the  gods  before  necessity  x 
demands  it.  But  we  should  offer  them  sacrifices  dili-  ; 
gently  and  without  stint." 

It  was  only  a  week  since  Rodmar  and  Leif  had  driven 
home  from  the  winter  festival  at  Orn's.  But  for  Ingolf 
and  Leif  it  had  been  a  long  week.  They  had  found  it 
difficult  to  be  apart.  They  had  had  a  cushion  drawn  up 
to  the  fire  and  lay  there  on  their  stomachs  right  oppo- 
site each  other,  each  with  a  host  of  things  to  ask  about 
and  report. 

Leif  was  a  tall,  loose-knit  fellow  with  a  long,  bony 
face,  browned  with  freckles  and  discoloured  by  wind  and 
weather.  He  had  a  large  nose,  and  a  broad  mouth  with 
thick  lips.  The  expression  of  his  sparkling  grey  eyes 
changed  suddenly,  and  constantly  shifted  from  close 
attention  to  distant  dreaminess,  from  icy  coldness  to 
beaming  warmth.  Red  curly  hair  hung  in  long  locks 
down  both  sides  of  his  smiling  face. 

When  the  most  impdrtant  news  had  been  told,  he 
could  keep  quiet  no  longer.  With  a  teasing  look  in 
his  eyes,  he  stretched  his  head  forward  and  asked  in  a 


12  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

whisper :  "  Say,  Ingolf  —  did  your  gods  dine  on  the 
Yule  meat?" 

Ingolf  gave  a  start  of  annoyance.  His  smile  disap- 
peared, and  over  his  face  spread  an  expression  of  vexed 
seriousness.  He  looked  anxiously  round,  but  discovered 
to  his  relief  that  no  one  was  listening. 

He  made  no  answer,  but  looked  angrily  and  warningly 
at  Leif.  Leif  laughed  softly  and  in  a  contented  fashion. 
Then  he  made  a  funnel  of  his  hands  and  whispered 
again :  "  They  are  fat,  overfed  animals,  your  gods  !  " 
He  laughed  deep  down  in  his  stomach,  enjoying  Ingolf 's 
wrath. 

"  And  such  gods  !  A  decrepit,  one-eyed  old  creature, 
who  has  to  get  his  wisdom  from  ravens !  And  a  stupid 
braggart  who  k  so  poor  that  he  has  to  drive  with  goats 
because  he  has  no  horse." 

Ingolf  clenched  his  fists  and  pressed  his  chin  down 
hard  on  his  whitening  knuckles. 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  Leif !  "  he  said  threateningly,  in 
reply. 

Leif  laughed  as  before.  Then  he  sprang  up  suddenly. 
By  their  side  stood  Helga,  Ingolf's  sister,  a  slim  young 
girl  with  long,  light-yellow  hair,  shining  blue  eyes,  a 
small  bright  face,  and  a  happy  smile  on  her  childish 
mouth.  Leif,  whose  gladness  at  meeting  again  this  girl 
friend  of  his  own  age  beamed  from  his  face  and  was 
visibly  impressed  on  his  whole  bearing,  embraced  her, 
and  saluted  her  with  a  kiss.  Then  he  suddenly  let  her 
go,  grew  red  and  embarrassed,  and  began  in  his  confu- 
sion to  kick  the  burning  logs. 

Helga  watched  his  action  with  quiet,   smiling  eyes. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  13 

"  You  are  scorching  your  boots,  Leif ,"  she  said,  and 
laughed  softly. 

He  stood  straight  up,  turned  towards  her,  and  looked 
at  her.  And  the  smile  in  her  eyes  put  his  embarrassment 
to  flight.  Immediately  he  was  himself  again.  Beaming 
over  his  whole  face,  he  seized  her  two  hands  and  swung 
her  arms  apart. 

"  I  should  give  you  greetings  from  the  cat  and  from 
old  Jorun.  I  have  nearly  forgotten  to  do  so.  The  cat 
caught  a  huge  quantity  of  mice  at  Yuletide,  and  then 
became  fat  and  lazy  —  just  like  old  Jorun,  but  she  can't 
bear  to  be  told  so." 

"  Surely  you  haven't  said  so  to  her." 

"  Yes.  I  couldn't  help  seeing  it.  And  when  I  saw  it, 
I  couldn't  help  saying  it." 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,  Leif.  Have 
you  forgotten  how  kind  old  Jorun  has  been  to  you  since 
you  lost  your  mother,  and  how  many  stories  she  has 
told  us?" 

"  I  can  make  up  better  stories  myself.  Old  wives' 
tales  are  wearisomely  long,"  answered  Leif  in  a  quick 
tone,  which  concealed  the  slight  wound  in  his  conscience. 

"  Do  you  believe  she  makes  them  up  ?  "  asked  Helga, 
with  an  air  of  curiosity. 

"  She  talks  about  gods,  trolls,  and  giants  as  though 
they  really  existed.  The  other  tales  are  lies  too,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"  You  are  a  stupid  boy.  How  do  you  know  that  there 
are  not  trolls  and  giants  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  never  see  them,  anyhow." 

Helga    was    already    thinking    of    something    else. 


14  THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  Are  you  not  going  back  at  once?  "  she  asked  in  an  ex- 
pectant tone. 

"  I  hope  to  stay  here  the  rest  of  the  winter  and  all 
summer  too ! " 

Suddenly  both  were  silent,  and  found  no  more  to  say. 
For  a  while  they  stood  and  looked  at  each  other  and 
were  very  happy.  All  at  once  Helga  became  aware  that 
Ingolf  lay  there,  and  had  not  once  lifted  up  his  head. 
She  cast  herself  on  her  knees  beside  him  and  peered  into 
his  face.  Ingolf  avoided  her  glance,  but  she  could  see 
he  was  depressed.  Suddenly  she  knelt  up  and  looked 
penetratingly  at  Leif.  The  smiles  and  brightness  had 
vanished  from  her  face.  "  Now,  you  have  been  vexing 
Ingolf  again,  Leif,"  she  said  in  a  tone  of  deep  reproach. 
Leif  avoided  her  look,  and  took  his  place,  a  little  em- 
barrassed, at  the  end  of  the  cushion.  He  felt  ashamed, 
but  wished  to  laugh  it  off.  When  he  did  not  succeed  he 
bent  his  head,  and  whispered  so  low  that  only  they  two 
could  hear:  "  He  ought  not  to  get  angry  because  I  say 
what  I  think.  You  know  quite  well  that  I  do  not  be- 
lieve in  your  gods." 

"  But  you  ought  not  to  laugh  at  them,  when  you  know 
that  you  hurt  Ingolf  by  doing  so,"  whispered  Helga 
angrily  in  reply. 

Ingolf  lifted  his  head  and  looked  at  them.  He  spoke 
calmly,  and  his  voice  was  quiet  and  sad. 

"  It  is  not  that  alone,"  he  whispered.  "  I  do  not 
mind  so  much  that  Leif  mocks  at  the  gods.  But  I 
grieve  to  think  that  the  gods  will  some  day  take  ven- 
geance on  you,  Leif,  for  your  mockery." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  15 

"  When  I  do  not  believe  in  the  gods,  you  cannot  ex- 
pect me  to  be  afraid  of  their  vengeance,"  answered  Leif , 
with  quiet  defiance. 

He  sat  with  downcast  eyes,  and  a  discontented  and 
vexed  look  in  his  face. 

"  You  can  say  what  you  like  in  return,"  he  continued. 
"  Why  may  I  not  say  what  7  like?  I  cannot  bear  the 
gods.  And  I  cannot  endure  that  you  should  believe  in 
them  either.  But  since  you  make  so  much  of  them,  I 
will  say  nothing." 

"  Yes,  you  promise  that  now,"  said  Helga.  "  You 
will  have  forgotten  it  tomorrow." 

"  Can  I  help  being  forgetful?  Then  I  will  promise 
again  tomorrow." 

For  some  minutes  they  sat  silent  and  out  of  humour. 
Then  Helga  took  Leif's  hand.  "  Don't  be  cross,  Leif. 
We  have  wished  so  much  to  see  you  again." 

Leif  raised  his  head  suddenly.  He  raised  himself  on 
the  cushion,  made  a  place  by  his  side,  and  looked  up  at 
Helga  with  a  smile.  All  ill-humour  had  passed  away 
from  his  face. 

Soon  after,  all  three  were  lying  together  confidentially 
discussing  their  own  affairs.  The  hall  was  full  of  the 
hum  of  many  voices  and  a  stronger  odour  of  beer.  The 
fire  burned  yellow  and  bright.  And  the  images  of  the 
gods  on  the  carved  pillars  looked  down  as  if  following 
all  that  passed  with  a  slow  content,  and  waiting,  calmly 
wise,  for  what  should  come. 


l6  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 


II 

A  couple  of  months  after,  the  two  boys  were  riding 
over  the  heath.  It  was  towards  evening.  The  day  was 
calm  with  biting  frost;  grey  storm-clouds  lined  the 
whole  horizon.  The  blue  patch  of  sky  above  the  heath 
grew  ever  smaller;  it  seemed  as  though  a  storm  was 
brewing.  Banks  of  clouds  were  already  threatening  to 
swallow  the  pale  moon.  The  sun  seemed  stranded  on 
golden  mountains  of  cloud  in  the  west.  The  two  cousins 
were  returning  from  a  visit  to  their  friends  and  com- 
rades, Haasten,  Haersten,  and  Holmsten,  sons  of  Atle 
Jarl  at  Gaulum.  Holmsten,  the  youngest  of  the 
brothers,  was  the  same  age  as  Ingolf ;  the  others  were  a 
little  older. 

The  two  cousins  had  come  to  know  Atle's  sons  at  the 
great  sacrificial  feast  of  the  preceding  year  at  Gaulum, 
and  had  become  friends  with  them.  On  Leif's  side  the 
friendship  was  not  very  warm. 

During  the  last  year  they  had  visited  each  other 
regularly.  And  since  there  was  still  no  sign  of  disturb- 
ance in  that  part  of  the  country,  they  had  obtained 
leave  to  j  ourney  to  Gaulum  again  this  winter.  But  they 
had  been  obliged  to  promise  to  exercise  caution,  to  fol- 
low the  main  roads,  to  return  home  quickly  on  the  least 
sign  of  trouble,  and,  finally,  to  conduct  themselves  cir- 
cumspectly, and  to  remember  whose  offspring  they  were 
if  anything  happened.  They  had  naturally  promised 
all  that  had  been  demanded,  Ingolf  with  the  firm  resolve 
to  keep  his  word. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  17 

They  had  not  had  any  occasion  to  break  their  prom- 
ises until  today,  when  Leif  had  induced  Ingolf  to  make 
a  short  cut  across  the  heath.  He  had  twitted  him  with 
want  of  courage  till  Ingolf,  in  a  mixture  of  anger  and 
love  of  adventure,  consented.  Leif,  who  was  always  the 
most  eager  for  an  expedition,  was,  on  the  other  hand, 
most  quickly  and  completely  seized  by  homesickness.  In 
the  morning  he  had  felt  that  he  must  see  Helga  before 
evening. 

And  now  they  were  riding  here  at  a  furious  gallop. 
The  long,  wide,  red  cloaks,  fastened  by  silver  buckles  on 
their  breasts,  fluttered  behind  them.  So  did  as  much  of 
Leif's  red  and  Ingolf's  bright  yellow  locks  as  were  not 
confined  by  their  helmet-shaped  caps. 

Leif  rode  at  haphazard  and  carelessly,  satisfied  with 
things  in  general,  without  thought  for  anything  but  the 
exciting  present.  He  rode  with  arms,  legs,  and  his 
whole  body. 

Ingolf,  who  sat  as  though  of  a  piece  with  his  horse, 
and  moving  neither  arm  nor  foot,  glanced  at  him  side- 
ways, and  a  faint  smile  passed  over  his  firm  mouth. 

"  You  ride  like  a  fluttering  chicken,  Leif ! "  he 
shouted  to  him  as  they  rode  on.  Leif  looked  quickly  at 
him  and  was  not  at  a  loss  for  an  answer.  "  And  you 
sit  your  horse  like  an  old  idol,  cousin !  " 

The  horses'  frost-powdered  heads  stretched  forward 
as  they  ran.  Yellow  flakes  of  foam  flew  now  and  then 
from  their  mouths ;  their  warm  breath  rose  like  clouds 
of  vapour  from  the  quivering  nostrils.  The  snow  and 
the  splinters  of  ice  which  they  kicked  up  flew  about  the 
ears  of  the  riders.  Leif  enjoyed  travelling  without  re- 


i8  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

straint,  and  his  delight  found  vent  now  and  then  in  a 
ringing  shout.  Ingolf,  on  the  other  hand,  rode  in  a 
mood  of  deep  displeasure;  but  it  seemed  as  if  he  could 
not  give  vent  to  it  at  once,  for  he,  also,  had  become 
partly  intoxicated  with  the  wild  ride.  The  rapid  beat 
of  the  rough-shod  hoofs  against  the  hard,  frozen  snow 
sounded  pleasantly  in  their  ears.  And  the  strength  of 
the  mighty  muscles  which  were  supporting  them  thrilled 
the  young  riders  with  a  glorious  sensation  of  invinci- 
bility, capacity  for  anything,  and  divine  exultation 
which  made  their  hearts  light  and  filled  their  heads  with 
blissful  excitement. 

The  sun,  preparing  to  glide  down  the  golden  slopes  of 
cloud,  cast  long  and  fantastic  shadows  of  the  horses  and 
riders  over  the  glittering  plain  of  snow.  Leif  suddenly 
became  aware  of  the  rushing  shadows,  and  burst  into 
laughter.  He  shouted  to  Ingolf,  and  pointed  to  the 
shadows,  suddenly  anxious  to  make  Ingolf  also  amused 
at  them.  Ingolf  must  laugh  also.  But  Leif's  mirth 
was  too  violent,  too  overpowering.  He  laughed  out  all 
the  laughter  that  there  was  at  once,  and  left  nothing 
for  Ingolf.  Leif's  uncontrolled  glee  blocked  up  all  the 
feeling  of  amusement  in  Ingolf,  and  directly  evoked  his 
dawning  displeasure.  He  no  longer  gave  himself  up  to 
the  mere  pleasure  of  riding.  His  fits  of  forgetfulness 
never  lasted  very  long;  thought  and  reason  resumed 
their  power  over  him. 

There  rode  Leif,  and  was  happy!  Did  he  not  see 
that  a  storm  was  brewing?  Did  he  not  know  that  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  get  home  that  night?  Did  he 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  19 

not  reflect  that  if  a  regular  snowstorm  came  on  they 
might  easily  go  astray  on  the  heath?  No,  he  saw  noth- 
ing, knew  nothing,  thought  nothing!  He  simply 
rode  and  was  happy.  And  yet  it  was  all  his  own 
fault. 

As  they  rode  on  side  by  side,  a  sullen,  smouldering 
anger  penetrated  deeper  and  deeper  into  Ingolf 's  mind. 
He  had  great  mental  stability,  which  is  always  some- 
thing to  hold  fast  to.  He  tried  to  struggle  against  his 
feelings ;  he  would  not  ride  here  and  become  gradually 
furious  with  Leif.  But  the  process  in  his  mind  had  al- 
ready gone  so  far  that  he  was  powerless  to  control  it. 
What  happened  afterwards  was  in  spite  of  his  will  and 
better  conscience.  Leif's  ecstasy  also  blew  up  the 
smouldering  embers  of  wrath  in  his  mind  like  a  pair  of 
bellows.  Leif's  joyful  shout  caused  flames  to  flare  up 
within  him.  Why  should  Leif  just  now  become  so  sense- 
less, so  idiotically  happy?  Why?  Why?  There  were 
innumerable  "  whys  ?  "  to  answer  when  Leif  was  in  ques- 
tion. Why  should  Leif  be  always  occasioning  difficul- 
ties and  vexations  for  him  ?  Why  should  he  be  allowed 
to  transfer  all  responsibility  from  himself  to  him? 
What  was  the  sense  of  his  alone  having  to  bear  incon- 
veniences for  them  both  just  because  Leif  did  not  choose 
to  be  inconvenienced?  His  only  fault,  after  all,  had 
been  that  he  had  always  been,  and  still  was,  too  yielding 
towards  Leif. 

Leif,  who  rode  there  so  merrily,  without  thinking  of 
his  broken  promise  or  the  gathering  storm  —  did  he  not 
remember  the  gash  from  Holmsten's  knife  which  he 


20  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

carried  in  his  coat  as  he  rode?  Did  he  not  remember 
that  it  was  solely  due  to  Ingolf's  presence  of  mind  and 
powerful  grip  that  the  knife  had  not  been  buried  in  him 
up  to  the  handle? 

Ingolf  was  angry  now.  His  perception  was  distorted 
by  evil  powers.  He  only  saw  Leif 's  weaknesses  and  fail- 
ings, and  they  were  many.  Ingolf  held  a  reckoning, 
and  was  angry. 

Such  was  Leif !  A  child,  a  stupid  boy !  A  forgetful 
and  ungrateful  beast !  Not  once  in  friendly  games  with 
Atle's  sons  had  he  behaved  properly.  Although  Holm- 
sten  was  two  years  older  than  he,  he  could  not  endure  to 
give  place  to  him  in  any  matter.  Times  without  num- 
ber they  had  attacked  each  other  like  fiery  wolf  cubs. 
Times  without  number  he  and  Haasten  had  reconciled 
them.  Each  time  Leif  had  promised  it  should  be  the  last 
time ;  next  time  he  would  be  careful  not  to  let  his  temper 
run  away  with  him.  But  Leif's  promises  were  like  fly- 
ing snow  in  a  storm.  Such  was  Leif,  the  great  humbug, 
unreliable  and  unintelligible.  Why  should  he,  because 
Holmsten  at  parting  had  given  him  the  knife  he  had 
nearly  killed  him  with  —  why  should  he  for  that  reason 
unclasp  his  most  valuable  money-belt,  and  with  his  own 
hands  clasp  it  round  Holmsten?  Weaker  characters 
could  do  that !  Next  time  they  met  they  would,  all  the 
same,  attack  each  other  like  fiery  wolf-cubs.  That 
would  certainly  end  some  day  with  serious  enmity  be- 
tween the  two ;  and  that  would  mean  a  feud  with  Atle's 
sons.  It  might  well  happen  that  Leif  would  yet  en- 
tangle him  in  murder  and  bloodshed.  Some  day  they 
would  certainly  have  to  quit  Dalsfjord,  as  their  grand- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  21 

fathers  in  their  time  had  been  obliged  to  quit  Tele- 
marken. 

Thus  Ingolf's  thoughts  were  forced  to  run  on  possible 
division  of  the  family,  murder,  and  exile. 

Why  could  not  Leif  be  content  with  the  difficulties  he 
had  stirred  up  for  him  at  Gaulum?  Why  further  entice 
him  into  breaking  the  promise  he  had  given  his  father 
to  follow  the  main  roads  and  to  be  cautious? 

At  first  Ingolf  had  only  been  angry  with  himself  for 
having  let  Leif  seduce  him  into  disobedience  and  break- 
ing his  word.  But  in  his  present  condition  he  had  no 
power  to  apportion  his  anger.  He  had  to  heap  it  all 
together  with  the  blame  on  Leif. 

The  riders  had  slackened  their  pace,  and  rode  quietly 
side  by  side,  close  together.  But  they  avoided  looking 
at  each  other,  and  did  not  say  a  word.  Leif  perceived 
that  Ingolf,  for  some  reason  or  other,  had  become  very 
angry. 

That  did  not  surprise  him.  Ingolf,  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  preserve  his  calm  on  occasions  when  others  be- 
came angry,  was  also  wont  to  become  angry  at  the 
strangest  times.  Leif  searched  his  conscience.  It  was 
fairly  uneasy,  as  usual,  but  nothing  more.  It  was  im- 
possible to  see  how  he  had  deserved  Ingolf's  wrath  at 
that  moment  more  than  at  others.  He  had  not  mocked 
at  the  gods,  and  he  had  till  just  now  been  so  cheerful. 
He  felt  a  little  irritated,  and  was  also  curious  to  see 
what  had  happened  in  Ingolf's  mind,  but  he  had  resolved 
that  it  was  not  worth  while  to  irritate  him  by  speaking. 
He  would  see  if  he  could  not,  by  keeping  silence,  charm 
the  anger  out  of  him.  Ingolf  could  not  well  remain 


22  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

angry   indefinitely.     Still,  it  was   a  nuisance;  all  the 
pleasure  of  the  ride  was  gone. 

They  rode  on  at  a  rapid  trot,  and  Leif  remained 
silent.  But  he  was  not  accustomed  to  ride  in  that  way. 
A  great  feeling  of  heaviness  came  over  him,  and 
quenched  in  its  darkness  all  the  lively  sparks  of  his 
humour.  But  they  would  soon  be  home.  He  yawned 
till  his  jaws  seemed  to  crack.  Would  there  be  a  storm? 
He  felt  reckless.  But  what  an  endless  way  back  it 
seemed  when  they  approached  the  forest  which  they 
must  go  round.  What  sense  was  there  in  the  forest  ly- 
ing there  and  barring  their  way  to  the  valley  ?  But  for 
that,  they  might  easily  be  home  by  bedtime.  If  the 
horses  only  had  such  long  legs  as  their  shadows  on  the 
snow  possessed,  they  could  stride  over  the  forest.  What 
wretched  short-legged  jades  they  were! 

Yes,  everything  had  gone  wrong  that  evening.  Noth- 
ing was  as  it  should  be.  There  rode  Ingolf  with  a  bee 
in  his  bonnet.  One  dared  not  even  speak  to  him.  And 
why  had  they  no  food  with  them?  He  felt  suddenly  so 
ravenously  hungry  that  he  actually  seemed  to  sniff  the 
scent  of  roast  meat.  Meat  and  bread  and  beer  —  hm 
hm !  And  now  that  he  had  once  begun  to  think  of  food, 
he  continued  to  do  so.  He  could  at  last  almost  taste  it 
upon  his  tongue.  Could  they  not  ride  through  the 
wood? 

He  suddenly  forgot  all  caution  and  addressed  Ingolf 
in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart.  "  I  know  a  path  through 
the  forest." 

It  sounded  quite  naturally,  as  though  he  had  suddenly 
thought  of  it.  But  for  those  who  knew  Leif,  his  voice 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  23 

was  too  sincere  to  be  able  to  conceal  a  lie.  Ingolf  saw 
through  him  at  once.  So  Leif  was  not  yet  content  with 
the  harm  done!  He  looked  angrily  and  scornfully  at 
him.  **  Do  you? "  he  answered,  with  an  excessively 
quiet  and  indifferent  air.  "  Then  you'd  better  make  a 
short  cut  through." 

Leif  looked  uncertainly  at  him.  He  knew  no  path 
through  the  wood ;  on  the  contrary,  he  had  lost  his  way 
in  it  one  summer's  day,  and  only  with  great  difficulty 
got  out  of  it  again.  It  had  just  occurred  to  him  that 
if  he  induced  Ingolf  to  try  the  wood,  they  would  be  able 
to  manage  it. 

It  was  only  a  matter  of  keeping  the  right  direction, 
and  that  can  always  be  done  when  there  are  two  going 
together.  The  wood  could  certainly  not  be  impassible. 
And  to  try  it  would  at  least  be  a  change.  To  stay  here 
would  be  tedious  in  the  long  run. 

"  Shall  we  see  if  we  can  find  it?  "  he  braced  himself  up 
to  ask  in  a  conciliatory  and  almost  submissive  tone.  He 
dared  not  express  his  request  more  plainly;  he  was 
afraid  that  Ingolf  had  already  seen  too  much. 

"  I'll  share  in  no  more  foolishness  today,"  said  Ingolf 
coldly  and  decidedly. 

Leif  started  as  though  struck  by  the  lash  of  a  whip. 
Ingolf's  tone  kindled  a  flame  in  him  like  fire  in  dry  straw. 
The  consciousness  of  having  lied,  and  the  fear  of  its 
being  perceived,  made  him  sensitive  and  irritable  be- 
yond measure.  He  was  seized  with  rage,  and  felt  a 
shiver  run  through  his  whole  body.  Senseless  evil  words 
and  terrible  execrations  rose  in  his  mind,  but  in  such 
rapid  succession  that  his  tongue  could  not  utter  them. 


24  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

With  a  jerk  he  turned  his  horse  and  rode  toward  the 
wood.  He  wanted  to  get  away  from  Ingolf :  he  would 
show  him  — 

Ingolf  looked  after  him.  And  as  he  sat  there  and 
saw  him  ride  away,  his  arms  and  legs  waving  all  ways  at 
once,  a  revulsion  took  place  in  his  mind.  His  wrath 
had  come  to  a  head,  and  now  began  to  subside.  "  There 
was  no  sense  in  that,"  he  thought,  and  could  not  re- 
cover himself  after  Leif's  disappearance.  "  I  did  not 
think  to  drive  him  so  far.  But  surely  he  will  have  the 
sense  to  turn  back !  " 

No,  Leif  did  not  turn  back.  And  Ingolf,  who  had  let 
slip  the  opportunity  of  calling  him  to  return,  could  not 
yet  bring  himself  to  ride  after  him. 

"  Now  we  shall  be  separated  for  life,"  he  thought 
again.  "  That  is  too  ridiculous.  That  must  not  hap- 
pen." He  would  not  be  separated  from  Leif  like  that. 
But  the  consciousness  of  his  own  right  and  Leif's  ob- 
vious wrong  had  still  too  strong  a  hold  on  him.  It 
seemed  to  him  impossible  to  turn  his  horse  round.  Yet 
once  more  he  repeated  to  himself :  "  It  must  not  hap- 
pen." But  all  the  same  he  rode  on.  He  let  it  happen. 


Ill 

Ingolf  rode  on.  The  sun  went  down.  A  wind  blew 
from  the  north,  bringing  thick  clouds  of  ice-cold  snow 
as  fine  as  sand.  He  could  not  see  the  wood  any  more. 
And  Leif  had  long  disappeared  in  the  sea  of  snow. 

Night  began  to  come  on.  A  faint  glow  high  above 
him  on  the  left  betrayed  the  whereabouts  of  the  full 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  25 

moon.  With  the  help  of  that  and  the  wind  he  tried  to 
guide  himself.  He  was  so  alone,  so  completely  for- 
saken, as  he  had  hitherto  never  guessed  that  anyone 
could  be.  And  he  felt  his  loneliness  and  desolation  as 
accusation  and  guilt.  He  had,  as  it  were,  grown 
smaller  since  Leif  had  left  him. 

The  uneasiness  of  dissatisfaction  gnawed  his  mind  like 
hunger.  He  was  displeased  with  himself  and  also  with 
Leif,  but  more  with  himself.  He  was,  after  all,  the 
elder,  and  was  responsible  for  them  both.  Also  he  felt 
seriously  anxious  for  Leif.  Leif  did  not  know  any  path 
through  the  wood.  He  had  once  ventured  into  it,  and 
lost  himself.  And  if  he  lost  himself  in  the  wood  in  this 
cold  he  would  be  frozen  to  death,  unless,  indeed,  the 
wolves  attacked  him. 

Ingolf  was  in  despair.  He  asked  himself  whether  it 
were  yet  any  use  to  ride  after  Leif?  But  now  it  was 
too  late.  He  felt  a  lump  rise  in  his  throat.  Remorse 
came  over  him  like  an  avalanche.  He  had  to  defend 
himself  in  order  not  to  be  utterly  overwhelmed.  As  far 
as  Leif  was  concerned,  it  was  his  own  fault.  It  was  he 
who  actually  would  ride  over  the  heath.  It  was  he  who, 
in  spite  of  reason,  made  for  the  wood.  If  he  were 
frozen  to  death,  or  eaten  by  wolves,  he  only  had  himself 
to  thank.  But  Ingolf  soon  discovered  that  these 
thoughts  did  not  yield  him  any  comfort.  In  the  first 
place,  Ixe  was  not  sure  that  the  fault  was  really  Leif's. 
He  ought  not  to  have  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded 
to  ride  across  the  heath,  and,  by  doing  so,  break  his 
word.  Neither  ought  he  to  have  become  angry  with 
Leif  because  he  had  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded. 


26  THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

Least  of  all  should  he  have  let  Leif  observe  his  anger. 
For  that  was  what  had  driven  him  to  the  wood.  He 
knew  Leif,  and  how  susceptible  he  was.  Treated  in  the 
right  way,  he  was  not  unreasonable.  By  means  of 
good-humour  and  friendly  talk  one  could  turn  Leif's 
mind  from  or  in  any  desired  direction.  But  if  he  saw 
that  any  one  was  angry  or  embittered  against  him,  im- 
mediately he  became  twice  as  angry  himself.  And  all 
sound  sense  forsook  him  as  soon  as  he  became  irritated. 

And  another  thing:  even  if  the  fault  was  Leif's,  that 
did  not  make  the  matter  really  better.  There  was,  in 
fact,  no  satisfaction  in  being  in  the  right  as  against 
Leif.  Leif's  whole  character  was  so  made  up  of  hasti- 
ness and  want  of  sense  that  nothing  was  easier  than 
to  be  in  the  right  against  him.  But  that  was  not 
the  least  relief  to  his  mind.  Leif  was  not  one  of  those 
to  be  settled  with  in  that  way.  Even  if  there  was 
not  the  least  doubt  that  one  was  in  the  right,  there 
always  remained  something  unsettled  when  Leif  was 
in  question.  Ingolf  rode  on.  He  forgot  to  pay  any 
attention  to  the  direction  of  the  wind  or  the  light  of 
the  moon.  An  absorbing  consciousness  of  having 
done  wrong,  and  of  remorse,  which  continually  in- 
creased, gnawed  his  mind  and  destroyed  his  peace. 
He  could  not  shake  off  the  thought  of  Leif.  How 
was  he  now?  How  would  he  fare?  He  tried  to  per- 
suade himself  that  Leif  must  really  know  a  path  through 
the  wood,  and  might  be  home  before  him.  Ah,  how 
he  wished  that  he  might  find  Leif's  horse  in  the  stable 
when  he  himself  at  last  reached  home! 

But  he  knew  well  that  this  was  only  something  he 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  27 

wished  to  believe.  Leif's  voice  was  so  sincere  that  it 
betrayed  him  when  he  lied.  Leif  was  a  stupid  boy. 
Ah,  Leif!  Leif! 

Ingolf  struggled  hard  to  keep  his  tears  back.  He 
had  not  the  least  idea  what  to  do.  What  should  he 
do?  He  was  riding  here,  and  had  lost  his  best  friend. 
And  it  was  his  own  fault.  Even  if  he  found  Leif  at 
home  they  would  not  be  friends  any  more.  And  Leif, 
like  himself,  as  far  back  as  he  could  remember,  could 
not  do  without  him.  He  did  not  understand  it  all. 
He  did  not  comprehend  how  it  could  happen.  Yes- 
terday, nay,  only  a  little  while  since,  they  had  been 
friends.  Now  he  was  riding  alone  in  the  night  and 
the  snowstorm,  and  Leif  was  lost  in  the  wood.  Leif 
had  left  him  because  he  could  not  overcome  himself 
sufficiently  to  keep  with  him  longer  —  Leif,  who  this 
morning  would  have  sacrificed  everything  for  him,  and 
given  his  life  for  him,  yes,  ten  lives  if  he  had  possessed 
so  many.  He  did  not  know  any  one  else  of  whom 
he  could  safely  say  the  same.  Half  his  strength  had 
lain  in  the  consciousness  that  Leif  was  his  friend  for 
life  and  death;  that  he  had,  so  to  speak,  two  lives. 
He  was  himself  also  prepared  to  die  for  his  friend. 
All  the  same,  a  sudden  misunderstanding  and  a  few 
words  had  parted  them.  For  the  first  time  Ingolf 
realized  the  dangerous  power  of  anger  and  evil  words. 
And  he  made  a  vow  never  again  to  be  angry,  and  never 
again  to  speak  evil  words  to  a  friend.  It  had  a  cer- 
tain soothing  effect  upon  him,  thus  to  take  himself  to 
task,  to  acknowledge  his  failing,  and  resolve  to  over- 
come it. 


28  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

But  this  was  of  no  help  with  regard  to  Leif.  There 
could  not  be  the  least  doubt  now  that  Leif  was  roam- 
ing about  lost  in  the  wood.  It  was  hopeless  to  expect 
that  he  should  have  given  up  his  purpose.  It  could 
never  occur  to  him  to  be  so  reasonable  as  to  follow 
the  edge  of  the  wood.  For  Leif  knew  nothing  of  fear 
or  even  caution,  bold  to  the  point  of  madness,  daring 
to  folly  as  he  was.  Yes,  Leif  was  by  no  means  merely 
a  mocker  of  the  gods  or  a  practical  joker.  He  was 
as  fearless  and  brave  as  any  one  whom  Ingolf  knew. 
That  was  what  forced  one  to  love  him,  and  feel  that 
he  was  indispensable  in  spite  of  all  his  failings  and  the 
difficulties  he  caused.  That  was  also  the  reason  why 
Helga  liked  him  so  much,  and  became  restless  and  lost 
her  balance  as  soon  as  she  did  not  see  him,  but  imme- 
diately became  quiet  and  peaceful  when  she  knew  he  was 
near.  How  should  Ingolf  look  his  sister,  Helga,  in 
the  eyes  when  he  came  home  without  Leif? 

Ingolf  rode  on.  He  no  longer  knew  where  he  was 
going,  and  felt  indifferent.  Without  Leif  he  could,  at 
any  rate,  not  go  home.  He  could  not  get  Leif  out  of 
his  mind. 

Leif  was  in  every  way  difficult  and  unaccountable. 
There  was  no  use  denying  it.  As  far  back  as  Ingolf 
could  remember  at  all,  he  had  had  incredible  difficulties 
with  Leif.  All  the  troubles  he  remembered  to  have  had, 
had  been  caused  by  him.  Numberless  times,  Helga  had 
been  obliged  to  appease  greater  or  smaller  quarrels 
between  them.  For  Leif  was  really  impossible  as  a 
comrade.  One  never  knew  what  to  expect  of  him,  or 
what  he  might  devise.  There  was  no  feeling  secure 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  29 

in  Leif 's  society ;  he  always  brought,  as  it  were,  changes 
and  adventures  with  him.  But  such  as  he  was,  one 
could  not  do  without  him.  In  spite  of  his  difficult 
character  he  was  such  that  one  missed  him  as  soon  as 
he  was  out  of  sight. 

Ingolf  noticed  that  his  horse  suddenly  changed  the 
direction  in  which  he  was  going.  He  did  not  take 
the  trouble  to  check  him.  It  was  all  the  same  to  him 
where  he  went,  now  that  he  no  longer  had  Leif. 

He  had  wound  his  cape  twice  round  him,  yet  the  cold 
penetrated  it.  He  felt  frozen  and  shivered,  but  did  not 
mind.  It  even  had  a  certain  soothing  effect  on  him  to 
be  so  cold  that  his  teeth  chattered.  Immediately  after- 
wards he  had  forgotten  himself,  and  began  thinking 
again  of  Leif. 

Hitherto  he  had  always  felt  vexed  that  Leif  was  not 
like  others.  Now  he  realized  suddenly  that,  in  spite  of 
all,  he  did  not  want  to  have  Leif  otherwise.  Such  as 
he  was,  he  was  just  Leif,  and  his  friend.  On  his  side 
the  friendship  was  certainly  not  past.  If  he  met  Leif 
again,  they  would  become  friends  afresh.  He  knew  that 
Leif  was  always  ready  for  reconciliation  so  soon  as  he 
had  worked  off  his  rage. 

No,  Leif  was  not  like  others.  There  was  no  doubt 
that  he  was  a  good  and  skilful  ski- runner.  He  was 
always  inventing  new  tricks  and  difficult  feats.  Wher- 
ever he  found  a  rock  or  a  hill  he  must  attempt  it. 
Not  even  the  steepest  descents  made  him  pause.  The 
fact  that  he  had  one  fall  after  another,  each  worse  than 
the  preceding  one,  had  no  effect  upon  him  at  all.  Leif 
did  not  like  learning  by  experience.  And,  strangely 


30  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

enough,  he  had  never  had  any  serious  accident.  When 
Ingolf  had  once  reproached  him  for  his  mad  foolhardi- 
ness,  he  had  merely  replied  that  he  trusted  his  luck 
blindly  for  so  long  as  Fate  had  allotted  it  to  him,  and 
not  a  step  further!  He  was  obviously  not  in  the  least 
interested  as  to  where  the  limit  was  set.  One  might  be 
vexed  at  it,  but  it  was  not  of  the  slightest  use.  He  had 
an  incredible  faculty  for  getting  into  desperate  situa- 
tions, and  after  all  saving  his  skin. 

The  cause  probably  was  that  he  was  not  merely  a 
little  unreasonable.  In  that  case  he  would  hardly  have 
completed  his  twelve  winters.  He  was,  on  the  contrary, 
so  boundlessly  unreasonable  that  it  seemed  as  though 
the  reasonable  penalties  which  always  pursued  Ingolf 
and  all  others  never  exactly  knew  where  to  find  Leif, 
and  therefore  could  not  strike  him. 

Ingolf  could  not  explain  it  to  himself  in  any  other 
way.  There  was,  for  example,  the  adventure  with  the 
bear.  It  was  a  year  ago  now,  but  he  was  likely  to 
remember  it  as  long  as  he  lived.  They  had  heard  from 
the  people  in  the  farm  that  there  was  a  bear's  lair  up 
on  the  heath,  a  place  about  which  they  only  knew  that 
it  would  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  two  hills 
which  had  been  described  to  them.  They  were  con- 
tinually thinking  and  talking  about  the  bear's  lair,  and 
could  not  get  away  from  the  subject.  Both  of  them 
had  a  great  desire  to  see  the  place.  But  Ingolf 's  desire 
was  of  the  quiet  kind  which  is  compatible  with  patience. 
In  his  opinion  there  was  no  need  to  go  and  scent  out  a 
bear's  lair  when  one  was  grown  big  and  could  receive 
him  when  he  presented  himself.  Leif's  desire,  on  the 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  31 

other  hand,  was  measureless  and  insatiable.  "  If  you 
don't  come,  I  will  go  alone,"  he  said.  So  Ingolf  went 
with  him.  They  set  out  from  the  place  one  morning 
in  late  summer;  they  trudged  far,  found  no  hill  nor 
bear's  lair,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  came  across  a  slope 
covered  with  bilberries,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never 
seen.  Immediately  Ingolf  was  aware  of  a  high-pitched 
voice  within,  which  shouted,  "  Bilberries !  Bilberries !  " 
And  that  Leif  must  have  heard  a  similar  voice  was  easy 
to  see.  Crouching  to  the  earth  they  went  and  gathered 
bilberries  with  both  hands,  eating  the  little  bitter  leaves 
along  with  them  without  hesitation,  when  they  found 
opposite  them  a  bear  who  was  also  eating  bilberries. 
For  a  moment  Ingolf  remained  standing,  staring  at 
a  bear  with  a  blue  snout;  then  he  came  to  his  senses 
and  fled  for  all  he  was  worth.  Not  till  he  had  run  a 
long  way  did  it  occur  to  him  that  Leif  was  not  with 
him,  and  that  he  was  not  pursued.  He  stood  still  and 
looked  round,  prepared  to  see  the  bear  coming  after  him 
with  Leif  in  his  stomach  and  hungering  for  more  pro- 
vender of  a  similar  kind.  What  he  did  see  was  almost 
more  terrible.  There  on  the  bilberry-slope  stood  Leif 
and  the  bear  confronting  each  other.  Ingolf  stood 
thunderstruck.  Why  did  not  the  bear  eat  Leif?  He 
did  not  understand  it,  did  not  see  that  there  could  be 
anything  else  to  wait  for.  As  though  rooted  to  the 
spot,  he  remained  standing  and  staring,  and  could  not 
stir.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if  several  days  had  passed 
when  at  last  something  happened  —  the  bear  sneaked 
off.  He  could  not  trust  his  own  eyes !  Yes,  the  bear 
trudged  away  from  the  bilberry-slope  and  left  Leif  alone 


32  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

with  the  berries.  And  Leif  quite  quietly  resumed  liis 
gathering  of  bilberries.  Ingolf  did  not  understand  it. 
He  found  the  occurrence  so  unintelligible  that  he  be- 
lieved the  whole  must  be  a  dream.  He  was  soon  made 
aware  of  his  mistake.  In  dreams  one  is  accustomed  to 
glide  comfortably  through  the  air,  but  he  had  just  to 
climb  back  on  his  weary  legs  to  Leif.  When  Ingolf  got 
near  him,  he  stood  and  looked  at  him,  and  was  aston- 
ished to  see  nothing  remarkable  about  him.  And  so  he 
remained  standing  for  a  time.  There  was  something 
which  needed  explaining  before  he  could  go  on  with  the 
bilberry-picking.  At  last  he  asked:  "Why  didn't 
you  run?  " 

"  Do  you  think  one  can  run  from  a  bear?  "  Leif 
answered  quite  quietly  and  as  a  matter  of  course. 
"  What  would  be  the  use  of  that  ?  No,  I  made  him 
think  that  I  was  not  afraid  of  him.  And  at  last  I  really 
was  not  any  more.  So  he  got  tired  of  standing  and 
staring,  and  went  his  way."  Such  was  Leif,  and  such 
was  his  method  with  bears.  Was  it  easy  to  understand 
him  ?  How  could  one  get  the  mind  with  which  to  under- 
stand him?  Ingolf  answered  himself  with  a  meditative, 
negative  shake  of  the  head.  And  the  adventure  with 
the  bear  was  by  no  means  unique.  He  remembered  an- 
other incident  of  the  same  summer.  He  lived  through 
it  again  in  his  need  to  occupy  himself  with  Leif,  and  yet 
at  the  same  time  forget  that  Leif  at  that  very  moment 
might  be  hunted  by  wolves. 

They  had  agreed  together  that  it  was  time  they 
learnt  to  swim.  Naturally  it  was  just  when  no  one  had 
time  to  teach  them.  But  that  kind  of  trifle  had  no  de- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  33 

cisive  weight  for  Leif  when  he  had  got  a  fixed  idea  in  his 
head.  One  of  Orn's  servants,  so  he  informed  Ingolf, 
who  was  a  good  swimmer,  had  shown  him  that  he  had 
only  to  move  his  arms  and  legs  in  such  and  such  a  way 
and  keep  afloat.  Leif  straightway  laid  himself  across 
a  piece  of  timber  in  the  courtyard  and  showed  Ingolf 
how  to  move  his  arms  and  legs.  Thus ;  and  thus !  — 
that  was  all !  It  did  not  seem  very  difficult  to  Ingolf. 
But  suppose  one  sank  in  spite  of  all?  But  Leif  was 
unwearied  in  his  persuasions  —  oh,  it  was  ever  so  easy. 
You  simply  scooped  up  the  water  with  your  arms  and 
kicked  with  your  legs  —  that  was  all.  At  last  Leif 
made  him  lie  on  the  piece  of  timber  and  taught  him 
the  strokes.  So !  and  so !  Kick  out  strongly ! 
Stretch  your  arms  properly !  Now,  I  bet  we  swim  like 
a  pair  of  seals  as  soon  as  we  get  in  the  water.  Now 
let  us  go! 

They  went  down  to  the  Fjord.  On  the  way  he  made 
Leif  promise  that  first  they  should  not  go  farther  than 
where  they  could  touch  the  bottom.  Otherwise  he  said 
he  would  not  go.  Leif  promised,  and  swore  in  addition. 
As  soon  as  they  got  near  the  shore,  Leif  had  his  clothes 
off  and  stood  naked  and  careless  and  stretched  himself 
in  the  sun.  Ingolf  stood  and  looked  at  the  water,  and 
was  a  good  while  unclasping  his  belt.  Leif  jumped 
about  and  hurried  him  on,  but  at  last  would  not  wait 
any  more.  As  a  matter  of  course,  he  had  either  for- 
gotten his  promise  or  did  not  choose  to  keep  it.  In- 
stead of  wading  out  where  he  could  reach  the  bottom  he 
ran  out  on  a  rock,  flung  his  arms  over  his  head,  launched 
away, 


34  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Ingolf,  still  with  most  of  his  clothes  on,  ran  out  on 
the  rock  with  his  heart  in  his  mouth.  Down  there  lay 
Leif ;  the  water  had  swallowed  him.  He  lay  and  worked 
his  arms  and  legs.  Now  he  approached  the  surface ; 
now  his  head  bobbed  up.  But  only  for  a  moment. 
His  arms  and  legs  moved  very  much  as  when  he  rode. 
But  either  he  could  not  manage  the  swimming-strokes  or 
they  were  no  use.  In  any  case,  the  water  would  not 
support  him.  He  went  to  the  bottom  again. 

Never  had  Ingolf  been  so  frightened  as  when  he  stood 
there  and  saw  Leif  in  the  water  —  never  so  helplessly 
anxious  and  despairing.  He  stood,  and  could  neither 
move  hand  nor  foot.  He  felt  paralysing  terror  like 
a  dead  weight  in  his  whole  body.  Then  he  suddenly 
began  to  shiver.  At  the  same  moment  all  power  of  cool 
reflection  deserted  him  and  he  forgot  that  he  was  no 
better  a  swimmer  than  Leif.  He  must  get  out  and  help 
him.  And  he  was  on  the  point  of  plunging  from  the 
rock  with  his  clothes  on  when  he  saw  Leif  come  crawling 
up  through  the  water. 

Leif  crawled  up  and  got  his  head  above  the  surface. 
He  spat  and  snorted  and  made  grimaces.  It  did  Ingolf 
good  to  see  him.  And  he  did  not  go  to  the  bottom 
again.  Leif,  the  incredible,  swam !  Not  with  arms  and 
legs  working  on  both  sides  as  he  had  practised  the 
motions.  No,  he  simply  crawled  through  the  water  with 
a  long  stroke  and  did  not  sink.  It  looked  so  ridiculous 
that  Ingolf  had  to  laugh  aloud.  No,  Leif  of  course 
could  not  be  so  easily  drowned  as  others  die  naturally. 
Now  he  felt  the  ground  under  his  feet.  He  stood  still, 
coughed,  and  spat  up  water  and  shook  himself  so  that 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  35 

the  red  locks  flew  about  his  head.  He  laughed  suddenly 
when  he  set  eyes  on  Ingolf.  "What,  not  yet  out  of 
your  clothes  ?  "  Quite  calmly  he  waded  to  shore.  And 
when  he  stood  opposite  Ingolf,  he  said  simply  and  un- 
affectedly, although  he  shivered  over  his  whole  body: 
"  I  was  nearly  drowned  that  time !  Who  could  guess 
that  it  was  so  difficult?  If  I  hadn't  just  happened  to 
think,  while  I  was  down  there,  how  dogs  swim,  I  should 
be  lying  there  still!" 

When  at  last  he  had  finished  spitting  and  shaking  the 
water  out  of  his  ears,  he  took  the  same  header  again  as 
a  matter  of  course. 

Such  was  Leif .  He  could  not  break  his  neck,  he  could 
not  drown,  and  bears  sneaked  off  when  they  met  him. 
Could  he,  then,  be  lost  in  a  wood  and  frozen  to  death? 
Or  would  he  extricate  himself  again  as  he  alone  could? 
Ingolf  thought  it  not  quite  impossible,  and  that  was  his 
only  hope  and  comfort. 

It  would  be  just  like  Leif  to  crash  his  way  through 
a  wood  in  which  anyone  else  would  be  lost,  and  to  be 
first  home.  If  only  he  were  already  there,  in  bed  and 
asleep ! 

Ingolf  was  aroused  from  his  reveries  by  his  horse 
suddenly  coming  to  a  dead  stop.  He  looked  round  him, 
and  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  he  had  reached 
home.  The  horse  had  stopped  exactly  opposite  the  door 
of  the  stable.  Stiff  in  all  his  limbs  from  the  cold,  he 
crawled  down  and  opened  the  door.  His  only  thought 
was  whether  Leif's  horse  might  already  be  inside.  He 
went  from  horse  to  horse,  felt  them,  and  noted  their 
distinguishing  marks.  He  knocked  against  his  own 


36  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

horse,  which  had  followed  after  him  into  the  warmth 
with  its  saddle  and  bridle  on.  He  freed  it  from  the 
bridle,  but  forgot, the  saddle,  and  went  on.  No,  Leif's 
horse  was  not  in  the  stable. 

That  was  only  what  he  had  expected.  Nevertheless, 
he  felt  suddenly  paralysed  with  disappointment.  Leif, 
then,  had  not  reached  home.  Leif  was  still  somewhere 
without.  At  that  very  moment  he  was  roaming  about 
lost  either  on  the  heath  or  in  the  wood.  Leif's  horse 
was  not  one  of  those  which  could  find  its  way  home  by 
itself. 

Ah,  Leif !  Leif !  He  hoped  that  it  was  not  already 
all  over  with  him.  Ingolf  seemed  to  see  him  in  front 
of  him  lying  on  his  back  in  a  snowdrift  with  arms  and 
legs  stretched  out.  The  snow  was  drifting  over  him  and 
already  nearly  covering  him.  By  the  side  of  him  stood 
his  horse,  with  its  head  hanging  down.  Ah,  Leif! 
Leif! 

Ingolf  collected  himself.  He  did  not  feel  the  cold 
any  more,  nor  did  he  notice  how  hunger  was  gnawing 
him.  He  shut  the  stable  and  went  to  the  courtyard. 
There  was  something  feverish  and  yet  resolute  about 
all  his  proceedings.  He  entered  the  outhouse  where  the 
ski  were  kept,  and  found  his  own  and  Leif's.  He  opened 
the  house-door  a  little  and  whistled  softly  to  his  dog. 
The  dog  was  wild  with  delight  at  seeing  him  again, 
jumped  about  him,  and  licked  his  cold  hands  with  his 
warm  tongue,  while  Ingolf,  his  fingers  stiff  with  the 
frost,  was  buckling  on  his  ski.  He  had  no  time  to  take 
notice  of  it.  As  soon  as  he  had  buckled  his  snow-shoes 
firmly  on,  he  sped  away  from  the  house,  the  same  way 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  37 

he  had   come.     Now  he   again   paid   attention   to    the 
direction  of  the  wind  and  the  light  of  the  moon. 

Leif  must  be  found  —  there  was  no  question  about 
that.     He  could  not  return  home  alive  without  him. 


IV 

Leif  had  gone  riding  on  till  he  reached  the  wood,  his 
mind  full  of  wrath  and  defiance.  There  was  not  one 
reasonable  thought  in  his  brain ;  he  had  only  the  instinct 
to  ride  on.  The  motion  cooled  his  irritation.  It  did 
him  good  to  be  out  in  this  wild,  chaotic  expanse.  There 
was  a  sense  of  freedom  in  casting  away  the  yoke  of 
reason,  a  relief  in  knowing  that  one  was  committed  to 
something  which  had  two  sides  and  might  mean  life  or 
death. 

He  would  show  Ingolf  that  though  he  himself  did  not 
know  any  path  through  the  wood  he  was  not  afraid 
of  riding  there  all  the  same.  He  would  show  him  that 
if  he  wished  to  go  the  straight  road  home  he  would  do 
so  in  spite  of  woods  and  other  hindrances !  He  would 
show  him  that  there  was  a  difference  between  a  man  and 
an  old  woman  in  breeches ! 

The  snowstorm  beat  against  him  from  the  side,  and 
he  had  to  turn  his  head  so  as  not  to  have  it  directly 
in  his  ear,  yet  all  the  same  he  had  to  ride  with  his  eyes 
half  shut.  But  he  gave  no  heed  to  the  weather.  A 
man  who  was  intent  on  performing  an  exploit  could  not 
worry  about  a  trifle !  Thus,  filled  with  exulting  pre- 
sumption, he  aproached  the  border  of  the  wood  and  rode 


38  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

in  among  the  whistling,  crackling  trees.  Here  he  had 
to  slacken  his  pace,  and,  as  he  did,  it  struck  him  all  at 
once  that  there  was  a  fair  chance  of  his  losing  himself 
in  the  wood  and  never  getting  out  again.  But  nothing 
could  stop  Leif  when  he  had  got  up  the  speed  for  a 
piece  of  folly.  Besides,  it  was  part  of  his  reason  for 
not  giving  up  his  project  that  he  was  convinced  that 
the  worst  turn  he  could  do  Ingolf  was  to  ride  through 
the  wood.  If  he  won  through  it,  Ingolf  would  be  morti- 
fied ;  if  he  got  lost,  Ingolf  would  be  grieved.  And 
Ingolf,  sulky  beast,  deserved  no  mercy.  How 
thoroughly  he  would  look  down  on  him  if  he  happened 
to  get  home  first !  And  if  not,  he  knew  well  that  Ingolf 
would  not  have  a  quiet  hour  till  he  saw  him  again.  And 
serve  him  right. 

Here  in  the  outskirts  of  the  wood  Leif  made  such 
good  progress  that  he  already  felt  sure  of  getting  home 
first.  At  the  same  time,  he  found  room  in  his  heart 
and  mind  for  a  certain  anxiety  regarding  Ingolf.  He 
hoped  he  would  not  be  lost  upon  the  heath  where  he 
had  nothing  to  guide  him. 

Now  that  his  fantastic  assurance  for  himself  had  left 
room  for  anxiety  for  Ingolf,  his  wrath  suddenly  van- 
ished. Should  he  not  ride  after  Ingolf,  try  to  over- 
take him,  and  convince  him  how  much  better  it  was  to 
ride  through  the  wood?  But  then  Ingolf  would  only 
believe  that  he  had  turned  round  because  he  did  not 
dare  to  ride  through  the  wood  alone,  which  was  just 
what  he  was  going  to  show  him  he  could  do. 

His  arms  and  legs  came  again  into  action.  But  the 
deeper  Leif  penetrated  into  the  wood,  the  harder  it 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  39 

became  to  make  progress.  The  going  was  not  so  good 
here.  The  horse  went  on  at  an  irregular  pace.  Leif 
had  continually  to  turn  because  of  low  branches  and 
fallen  trunks.  He  had  to  go  slowly  and  gradually, 
step  by  step. 

Besides,  it  was  not  very  comfortable  here  in  the  dense 
parts  of  the  wood.  Leif  did  not  venture  to  startle  his 
horse  by  shouting,  though  he  was  not  really  afraid. 
But  all  the  sounds  which  he  could  not  account  for  made 
him  silent  and  alert.  On  all  sides  there  was  an  uninter- 
rupted whistling,  creaking,  and  groaning.  Snow  fell 
from  the  branches  with  a  thump.  Hasty  flappings  of 
wings,  which  sent  a  chill  through  him,  penetrated 
through  all  other  sounds,  producing  a  foreboding  sense 
of  vacuity  and  gloom.  Besides,  it  was  darker  here  than 
was  pleasant.  He  could  hardly  discern  the  nearest  tree- 
trunks.  He  wished  he  were  out  on  the  heath  again  and 
in  Ingolf's  company.  What  had  he  wanted  to  go  to 
the  wood  for? 

Leif  was  not  long  in  losing  himself  so  completely  that 
he  thought  it  just  as  well  to  give  up  altogether  aiming 
at  any  particular  direction,  and  go  on  at  haphazard. 
He  felt  it  really  a  relief  to  be  free  from  the  trouble. 
The  chief  thing  now  was  to  sit  on  his  horse  and  keep 
warm,  which  was  beginning  to  be  a  difficulty. 

But  now  Leif  was  in  high  spirits  and  proof  against 
blows.  He  had  prepared  his  mind  for  troubles  and 
schooled  himself  to  confront  Fate.  He  had  cast  all 
responsibility  from  him  far  into  space!  Let  any  one 
who  chose  undertake  it !  He  was  riding  here  —  that 


40  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

was  all.  Could  his  horse  get  on?  Let  happen  what 
would ! 

He  did  not  doubt  for  a  moment  that  the  matter  would 
finally  turn  out  well  for  him.  He  would  get  clear. 
How,  he  did  not  guess,  neither  did  he  trouble  himself 
about  it.  He  had  reasonably  or  unreasonably  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  might  just  as  well  stop  interfer- 
ing. Yes,  he  would  not  venture  to  interfere.  Suppose 
he  turned  off  to  the  left  now,  and  by  doing  so  lost  the 
right  direction?  No,  he  would  nof  touch  the  bridle,  but 
simply  trust  to  luck.  If  he  must  pay  the  price  for  his 
rashness,  he  might  just  as  well  do  it  with  the  same  coin. 
And  if  he  got  home  in  that  way,  the  account  would  be 
settled. 

Thus  he  rode  for  a  long  time,  but  not  so  long  as  he 
thought.  He  was  checked  in  his  progress,  and  therefore 
the  time  seemed  more  than  doubled.  He  thought  he  got 
on  faster  than  he  actually  did.  At  last  he  sat  half 
asleep  upon  his  horse,  which  he  kept  going  by  half-me- 
chanical movements  of  his  arms  and  legs.  The  horse 
went  slower  and  slower.  It  had  lost  heart,  and  would 
rather  have  stood  still,  hung  its  head,  turned  its  back 
to  the  storm,  and  let  time  and  destiny  roll  over  it.  Leif 
did  not  agree  with  the  horse  in  the  matter.  He  himself 
sat  there  and  let  come  what  would.  But  something 
must  be  kept  going,  or  there  would  be  a  complete  full- 
stop.  So  the  horse  must  continue. 

But  that  was  so  contrary  to  the  horse's  will  that  Leif 
at  last  had  to  shake  off  his  drowsiness  in  order  to  keep 
the  animal  going.  And,  in  spite  of  all,  it  only  went  step 
by  step. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  41 

Leif  was  working  again  with  his  whole  body.  Never- 
theless, he  felt  how  the  cold  was  tightening  its  clutch 
on  his  limbs  and  already  threatening  his  stomach  and 
chest.  Leif  was  no  fool.  He  clearly  perceived  that  his 
life  was  in  danger.  In  full  consciousness  he  took  up  the 
struggle  against  weariness,  which  by  its  temptation  to 
drowsiness  sought  to  surprise  him  with  sleep,  that  would 
be  fatal  in  the  frost. 

Leif  rallied  himself  with  a  firm  resolve.  That  was- 
not  at  all  to  his  mind.  He  did  not  in  the  least  intend  to 
give  up.  Twelve  years  could  not  satisfy  a  hunger  for 
life  like  his.  He  had  much  to  do  in  the  world.  He  was, 
for  one  thing,  a  good  way  yet  from  becoming  a  Viking 
and  marrying  Helga.  Would  the  forest  never  come  to 
an  end? 

At  last  it  did.  Leif  went  on  riding  and  riding.  And 
what  did  he  see?  Tracks  of  a  horse  which  had  been 
going  through  the  snow.  So  he  had  then  been  riding  in 
a  circle.  And  where  was  he?  That  the  wood  only 
knew. 

But  now  he  would  follow  the  tracks  in  the  direction  he 
had  come  from  to  see  if  he  could  break  the  circle  and,  if 
possible,  find  his  way  out  of  the  wood. 

Now  it  seemed  to  him  the  chief  thing  to  find  his  way 
out,  no  matter  where.  That  was  for  the  present  object 
enough.  He  resolutely  avoided  looking  further  in  his 
thoughts.  Unconsciously  he  armed  himself  against  the 
tendency  of  thought  to  weaken  the  mind.  He  would  not 
have  his  strength  paralysed  by  too  much  reasoning. 
His  business  was  simply  to  ride  on  and  fight  against  the 
cold. 


42  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

He  had  lost  the  track  again.  The  horse  became  more 
and  more  unwilling  to  proceed.  It  only  went  on  because 
it  must. 

Suddenly  and  unexpectedly  he  noticed  that  he  was  out 
of  the  wood.  He  saw  no  more  tree-trunks.  Here  there 
were  only  whirling  clouds  of  snow  around  him.  His 
only  resource  was  to  go  on.  He  kept  riding  to  see 
whether  he  would  not  come  across  trees  farther  on.  No, 
there  were  no  more  trees.  And  what  was  he  to  do  now  ? 

On  which  side  of  the  wood  was  he?  He  rallied  his 
reasoning  power  and  reflected.  Yes,  he  must  be  on  the 
same  side  by  which  he  had  entered.  The  wind  was  due 
north  —  the  direction  he  came  from  —  there  then  was 
the  north.  So  he  had  been  very  sagacious  as  far  as 
looking  went.  He  should  only  have  been  sharp  enough 
to  see  when  the  wood  ended,  then  he  would  have  had  the 
edge  of  the  wood  to  guide  himself  by.  Should  he  turn 
round  and  try  to  find  the  wood  again?  No,  no,  he 
might  get  among  the  trees.  And  he  had  lost  all  desire  to 
ride  to  the  wood.  The  horse  had  availed  itself  of  Leif's 
reflections  to  come  to  a  stop.  Without  Leif  having 
noticed  it,  it  had  turned  its  back  to  the  storm,  and 
simply  stood  still  with  its  head  drooping. 

Leif  sought  to  rouse  it  up  and  set  it  in  motion  again. 
Here  there  was  no  use  in  remaining  at  a  standstill.  But 
the  horse  had  formed  its  own  opinion  of  the  whole 
expedition.  It  stood  immovable,  and  intended  to  re- 
main so.  Leif  expended  much  energy  on  its  back, 
tugged  at  the  reins,  struck  it  with  his  whip-handle,  since 
lashing  seemed  of  no  avail,  but  it  was  useless.  The 
horse  had  had  enough  and  more  than  enough.  It  stood, 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  43 

and  intended  to  remain  standing  for  an  indefinite  time. 
Leif  jumped  down  and  looked  with  astonishment  in  its 
eyes.  What  was  the  matter  with  the  beast?  Had  it 
suddenly  got  fancies  in  its  head?  He  pulled  at  the 
bridle,  tried  to  tug  the  horse  to  one  side,  and  made  his 
whip  whistle  over  it.  The  horse  sighed  a  little  at  such  a 
cruel  and  senseless  proceeding.  But  it  had  once  for  all 
made  up  its  mind  to  stay  where  it  was.  At  that  moment 
there  was  nothing  that  would  make  it  budge  an  inch 
from  the  spot. 

Leif  looked  helplessly  around  him.  He  could  not 
understand  the  horse's  sudden  predilection  for  precisely 
that  spot  of  ground.  Was  there  perhaps  something  to 
guide  them?  Completely  exhausted  it  could  not  be,  as 
there  was  still  so  much  refractoriness  in  it. 

So  he  tried  to  treat  it  kindly.  He  talked  gently  to  it, 
patted  it,  and  scratched  it  behind  the  ears.  He  over- 
whelmed it  with  flattery,  and  sang  to  it  in  a  high-pitched 
voice.  Then  he  clambered  with  some  trouble  on  its  back 
again,  and  hoped  that  it  had  now  changed  its  mind. 
But  it  had  not  done  so  by  any  means.  Leif  began  to 
get  angry,  but  he  patted  its  neck  and  kept  a  friendly 
tone.  Since  this  still  proved  useless  he  uttered  a  wild 
howl  with  all  his  might,  and  threw  his  arms,  legs,  and 
whole  body  into  motion.  At  last  he  was  nearly  crying 
with  vexation.  Then  he  tried  it  again  with  friendliness 
and  kind  words,  but  it  was  all  of  no  avail. 

So  he  gave  it  up.  The  horse  evidently  would  not  go 
farther.  And  since  he  could  neither  compel  nor  per- 
suade it,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  with  the  creature. 

He  slipped  from  its  back  and  tried  to  review  the 


44  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

situation.  On  nearer  inspection  it  seemed  to  be  just  as 
threatening  and  impenetrable  as  the  snow-clouds  round 
him.  As  he  stood  there  the  wind  lashed  his  face  and 
pierced  icily  cold  through  his  clothes.  He  perceived 
clearly  the  danger  of  the  situation.  If  the  cold  and  his 
weariness  made  him  yield  a  little,  it  was  all  over  with 
him. 

It  was  no  use  to  let  the  horse  stand  and  go  on  with 
his  own  strength.  The  energies  he  had  still  in  reserve 
were  in  no  reasonable  proportion  to  the  storm  and  the 
length  of  the  way.  It  was  only  a  lit  tie  strength  and  en- 
durance which  he  had  remaining.  But  it  was  that  little 
which  was  to  rescue  him.  He  kept  his  hands  tightly 
clenched  together  as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  extracting 
some  device  by  purely  physical  pressure  from  his  oozing 
energies.  He  intensified  his  thoughts  till  he  seemed  to 
hear  them  beating  in  his  skull.  But  it  was  as  though 
all  possibilities  had  conspired  against  him  and  forsaken 
him. 

He  stood  and  set  his  back  against  the  wind,  and 
sought  to  combat  a  creeping  foreboding  that  there  was 
no  way  of  escape.  He  knew  that  once  he  gave  up  it 
was  all  over  with  him.  So  long  as  he  could  keep  erect 
and  resolute  there  was  still  hope. 

His  thoughts  forsook  the  beaten  paths  and  travelled 
in  the  labyrinths  of  imagination,  seeking  a  last  possi- 
bility. A  picture  came  up  in  his  memory.  He  remem- 
bered a  Yuletide  sacrificial  feast  at  home  .  .  .  the  pene- 
trating odour  of  blood  and  entrails  .  .  .  the  warm, 
gaping  hollow  of  an  ox's  body  emptied  of  its  viscera. 
Before  he  had  yet  time  to  connect  thought  with  action, 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  45 

his  knife  was  out.  He  took  the  bridle  off  the  horse,  with 
feverish  fingers  sought  a  certain  spot  in  its  neck,  waited 
a  moment  while  he  overcame  his  repugnance,  and  then 
made  a  thrust.  With  a  groan  the  horse  collapsed  on  its 
knees.  Leif  rolled  it  over  on  one  side,  and  so  it  re- 
mained, lying  with  stiff,  struggling  legs,  now  and  then 
shaken  by  a  faint  shudder.  Leif  made  a  cut  in  its  neck, 
so  that  he  could,  when  possible,  extract  the  windpipe 
and  gullet.  A  warm  stream  of  blood  spouted  straight 
into  his  eyes  and  blinded  him  till  he  had  again  rubbed 
them  clean.  And  now  the  intoxication  of  blood  over- 
came him.  He  had  the  scent  of  it  in  his  nostrils  and  the 
taste  of  it  on  his  tongue.  With  a  single  long  cut  from 
the  fore  to  the  hinder-part  he  slit  open  its  stomach. 
The  warm,  smoking  entrails  bulged  out  of  the  streaming 
gash.  Leif  snatched  them  out  with  his  hands,  but  had 
to  stop,  because  the  heat  nearly  scalded  him  —  shook 
his  hands  like  a  cat  its  paws  —  and  set  to  work  again. 
In  a  very  short  time  he  had  cleared  the  animal's  stomach 
of  all  the  entrails,  with  a  round  cut  of  his  knife  he  loos- 
ened the  diaphragm,  extracted  the  lungs  with  the  grey 
windpipe  adhering  to  them  from  the  breast,  and  threw 
them  away.  Then  at  last,  with  trembling  fingers,  he 
sheathed  his  knife,  heaved  a  long  sigh,  and  crawled 
head-first  into  the  horse's  empty  stomach.  He  coiled 
himself  together  like  an  animal,  audibly  growling  with 
the  sense  of  comfort  and  the  prospect  of  secure  rest. 
But  however  he  turned  and  twisted  himself,  he  could  not 
find  room  for  his  legs.  So  he  crawled  rather  crossly  out 
again,  stripped  off  his  cloak,  wound  it  several  times 
round  his  feet  and  legs  above  his  knees,  to  preserve  them 


46  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

from  being  frostbitten,  and  crept  in  again.  He  en- 
joyed the  delightful  warmth  inside.  Now  it  would  do 
him  real  good  to  have  his  rest  out  and  sleep.  With  a 
light  and  untroubled  heart  he  lay  down  comfortably. 
Sleep  —  sleep.  When  he  awoke  again,  the  snowstorm 
would  doubtless  be  over.  He  chuckled  inwardly ;  he 
would  simply  stay  here  till  it  was  quite  finished!  If  it 
still  lasted  long  he  could  easily  live  on  frozen  horse- 
flesh. He  had  still  a  conviction  that  he  would  not  die 
that  day.  Nonsense !  Here  he  lay,  and  liked  it.  The 
future  seemed  bright  and  cheerful  to  his  inner  eye.  He 
wondered  whether  Ingolf  would  be  home  by  now?  In 
his  fulness  of  satisfaction  and  quiet  he  allowed  himself 
to  hope  so.  A  little  after  he  was  sleeping  a  sound,  un- 
troubled sleep. 


Ingolf  bore  towards  the  west.  He  had  the  wind  on 
his  right  side,  a  little  against  him.  He  had  to  climb 
rising  ground,  although  not  very  steep.  He  only  made 
slow  progress.  But  he  felt  his  strength  and  how  his 
body  was,  as  it  were,  braced  together  in  one  strain. 
And  it  was  as  though  this  consciousness  of  his  own 
strength  continually  produced  new  strength  again.  He 
was  so  absolutely  determined  to  hold  out  till  he  found 
Leif  or  fell  dead  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  breach 
in  his  will,  where  doubt  and  fatigue  might  insinuate  their 
poisonous  disintegrating  vapours. 

For  the  present,  his  object  was  only  to  go  round  the 
wood  to  the  other  side  and  see  whether  he  could  not  find 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          47 

Leif's  tracks  and  the  place  where  he  had  entered  the 
wood.  If  he  could  find  Leif's,  or  rather  the  horse's, 
tracks,  his  dog  would  be  a  considerable  help  in  following 
them.  And  if  he  could  not  find  them,  it  was  not  impossi- 
ble that  the  dog  might.  Such  was  Ingolf's  plan. 

Now  and  then  he  looked  at  the  dog  faithfully  plodding 
after  him.  When  it  ran  along  unnoticed,  it  dropped  its 
tail  discontentedly.  It  did  not  see  any  object  in  such  an 
expedition  in  this  weather,  and  could  not  possibly  ap- 
prove of  it  at  first.  But  as  soon  as  Ingolf  spoke  kindly 
to  it,  or  it  only  noticed  that  it  was  observed,  it  cocked 
its  tail  and  sprang  forward  at  his  side,  gladly  barking, 
and  talked  to  him  in  dog-language. 

They  went  steadily  forward,  although  their  progress 
was  slow.  To  his  joy,  Ingolf  noticed  that  the  wind  was 
abating.  The  snow-clouds  were  gradually  dividing, 
and  the  moon's  pale  disc  shone  against  a  background  of 
blue.  Around  him  spread  a  white  expanse,  abruptly 
broken  by  the  dark  line  of  the  edge  of  the  wood  a  little 
to  the  right.  There  was  no  longer  an  upward  incline; 
he  sped  along  easily  and  softly  on  his  ski,  and  looked 
about  him.  The  snow-clouds  as  they  departed  opened 
an  ever-widening  horizon  to  his  view.  He  must  clearly 
ascertain  where  he  was.  Now  he  knew  the  place  and 
could  do  that  correctly  for  himself.  Yes,  he  was  up  on 
the  heath,  and  had  only  to  turn  to  the  right  and  follow 
the  line  of  the  wood.  His  snow-shoes  glided  easily  upon 
the  smooth,  even  surface  of  the  snow.  With  each  step 
he  increased  his  speed.  For  now  a  mental  tension  took 
hold  of  him,  and  filled  him  with  restlessness.  He  called 
to  his  dog,  roused  it  up,  and  urged  it  on  with  short, 


48  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

explanatory  shouts.  He  made  it  understand  that  he 
was  seeking  something,  and  counted  on  its  help.  Sud- 
denly the  dog  was  awake  in  every  nerve.  Now  he  could 
understand  his  master  and  feel  with  him.  Eagerly  he 
ran  on  ahead,  nosing  at  the  snow.  Hither  and  thither 
he  ran,  in  larger  and  smaller  curves.  Now  and  then 
Ingolf  seemed  to  perceive  in  it  an  impulse  to  stand  still. 
But  it  never  came  completely  to  a  stop,  only  making  a 
half  pause.  The  dog  was  so  engrossed  in  its  mission  of 
finding  something,  though  it  knew  not  what,  that  it  com- 
pletely forgot  its  tail,  and  let  it  hang  obliquely  down 
behind,  completing  the  impression  of  self-forgetting  ab- 
sorption. 

It  was  as  though  Ingolf's  mental  tension  had  trans- 
ferred itself  to  the  animal,  which  continually  increased 
its  speed.  Ingolf  had  difficulty  in  keeping  up,  although 
he  sped  as  though  for  his  life,  so  that  the  sweat  poured 
in  streams  down  over  his  face  and  dropped  from  his  eye- 
brows and  chin. 

Thus  they  sped  on  for  a  long  time.  Ingolf  knew  well 
that  he  must  husband  his  strength.  But  it  seemed  as 
though  the  part  of  his  excitement  which  had  communi- 
cated itself  to  the  dog  had  returned  to  him  with  double 
strength.  He  completely  forgot  to  economize  his 
forces.  He  put  them  all  forth,  well  knowing  that  by 
doing  so  he  imperilled  the  success  of  his  quest.  He 
simply  could  not  do  otherwise.  The  one  thing  was  to 
hold  out  and  follow  the  dog.  He  dared  not  keep  it 
back.  "  On !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  As  long  as  you 
can  keep  your  head  up." 

Suddenly  the  dog  stopped  and  began  running  round 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  49 

and  round.  Ingolf  was  a  good  way  behind  him.  He 
hurried  on  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  gave  close  atten- 
tion to  the  animal,  which  now  stood  and  sniffed  for  a 
time.  Then  it  ran  a  little  way  in  the  direction  of  the 
wood.  Oho !  Here  it  was,  then !  But  what  now  ? 
The  dog  stood  still,  sniffed,  and  ran  some  way  back. 
Then  it  paused  again.  What  was  the  matter? 

And  see!  Now  it  lifted  its  head,  stood  and  sniffed 
now  towards  the  wood,  now  in  the  opposite  direction, 
with  a  slight,  hasty  jerk  of  its  body.  Its  tail  was  lifted 
too,  and  stood  straight  out. 

Now  Ingolf  felt  certain.  This  was  where  he  should 
enter  the  wood.  Now  there  remained  nothing  necessary 
but  to  take  off  his  ski  and  to  walk. 

But  before  he  had  quite  got  up  to  the  dog,  the  latter 
had  already  started  again  —  away  from  the  wood.  In- 
golf shouted  to  it.  It  must  be  mistaken.  It  stood  still 
as  it  was  ordered,  but  did  not  come  back.  It  remained 
standing,  waiting  for  further  directions.  Ingolf  called 
it  again,  but  it  remained  standing  as  before.  And  now 
Ingolf  heard  it  utter  a  low  whine.  What  did  it  want? 
Ingolf  shouted  encouragingly  to  it  and  immediately  it 
started  off  again.  Ingolf  followed,  without  yet  leaving 
the  edge  of  the  wood.  He  thought  the  dog  was  still  on 
the  track,  and  only  following  it  in  the  wrong  direction. 
It  would  soon  perceive  its  mistake  and  turn  round. 

But  it  was  far  from  turning  round.  On  the  contrary, 
it  came  to  a  stop  and  remained  standing  by  a  slight 
elevation  in  the  snow.  There  it  paused  and  ran  about, 
nosing  here  and  there  eagerly.  It  was  easy  to  see  that 
it  had  found  something  of  great  importance. 


50  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Ingolf  came  to  a  stop.  He  had  to  rally  all  his  will 
power  in  order  not  to  collapse. 

He  could  not  stir  from  the  spot.  Was  Leif  lying 
there?  Had  a  tragedy  happened  after  all?  The  gods 
he  had  braved  had  at  last  taken  vengeance  on  Leif  for 
his  insolence  and  mockery.  Ingolf  felt  himself  struck  in 
a  vital  nerve.  For  how  could  he  live  after  that? 

As  he  stood  there  it  occurred  to  him  suddenly  that 
here  his  race  came  to  an  end.  Leif  was  dear.  Only  he 
and  Helga  were  left.  He  with  a  stain  upon  his  honour 
—  in  a  fit  of  temper  he  had  let  Leif  ride  unhindered  away 
from  him  to  meet  obvious  death  —  a  stain  he  could  only 
wash  away  in  one  way  —  by  giving  himself  a  sacrifice 
to  Odin.  And  Helga  .  .  .  yes,  Helga  would  not  survive 
that.  So  here  the  race  would  cease.  All  his  dreams, 
all  his  purposes  blown  away  like  chaff  before  the 
wind. 

Suddenly  Ingolf  heard  the  dog  close  by  him.  It  stood 
in  front  of  him,  with  its  snout  lifted  and  its  ears  laid 
back,  whining  up  at  him.  At  first  he  looked  down 
without  seeing  it  and  without  giving  heed  to  its  suppli- 
acting  look ;  then  suddenly  he  woke  to  attention.  The 
dog  certainly  did  not  look  sorrowful.  It  looked  rather 
as  if  it  had  something  special,  and  to  a  certain  degree 
joyful,  to  announce.  And  its  whining  also  seemed  to 
signify  the  same. 

In  Ingolf's  mind  there  dawned  a  spark  of  hope.  He 
set  his  ski  in  motion  and  followed  the  dog. 

But  the  nearer  he  came  to  the  white  mound,  by  which 
his  dog  already  stood,  looking  back  beseechingly  and 
whining  softly  —  the  slower  he  moved.  Suddenly  he 
stood  still  as  though  struck.  What  was  it?  What 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS  51 

sort  of  a  sound  was  that?  He  stood  still  awhile  and  col- 
lected himself  to  listen.  But  his  own  blood's  throbbing 
made  it  hard  for  him  to  interpret  the  sound  he  heard. 
Suddenly  the  sound  grew  louder,  till  here  was  no  mis- 
taking it.  It  was  the  heavy  snoring  of  one  dead  tired. 

Here  was  Leif,  then,  calmly  asleep.  He  was  not  too 
dead  to  lie  there  snoring,  so  that  it  could  be  heard  a 
long  way  off. 

In  an  instant  Ingolf  was  there ;  he  threw  off  his  ski 
and  began  to  excavate  the  snow  with  his  bare  hands. 
Leif  in  the  horse's  stomach  was  so  covered  with  snow 
that  no  one  could  guess  what  this  mound  in  the  land- 
scape really  contained. 

Ingolf  took  hold  of  a  corner  of  the  cloak  and  pulled. 
Leif  did  not  follow  it,  as  he  had  expected.  The  cloak 
came  up  empty,  and  only  exposed  Leif's  legs  to  view. 
Leif  was  not  interested  in  what  was  going  on  —  he 
continued  to  lie  there  and  snore.  So  Ingolf  began  to 
pull  Leif's  leg  with  all  his  might,  and  at  last  dragged 
him  out.  A  hasty  look  in  the  hole  showed  him  the 
ripped-up  stomach  of  a  horse.  Leif  opened  a  pair  of 
sleep-drunken  and  astonished  eyes,  rose  with  a  bound, 
looked  closely  at  Ingolf  and  at  the  dog,  gave  a  glance  into 
the  hole  he  had  been  hauled  out  from,  shook  off  his  stiff- 
ness, yawned,  and  began  to  rub  his  eyes,  as  though  he 
wished  to  look  more  closely  into  the  matter  before  he 
believed  it. 

Ingolf  stood  and  stared  at  him  without  uttering  a 
word.  Leif  looked  dirty  and  bloody,  but  it  was  certainly 
not  his  own  blood.  He  did  not  seem  to  have  lost  any- 
thing, and  was  at  any  rate  alive.  And  how  like  Leif 
that  was.  He  had  at  last  rubbed  his  eyes  well  and  was 


52  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

awake.  For  a  moment  he  sat  with  his  eyes  wide  open 
and  looked  at  Ingolf. 

"  Well,  you  have  been  home,"  he  blurted  out  in  a 
voice  that  was  hoarse  and  still  a  little  sleepy. 
"  Brought  anything  to  eat?  " 

Then  Ingolf  sat  down  and  laughed  —  laughed  so  that 
he  had  to  hold  his  stomach  with  both  hands  —  laughed 
so  that  at  last  he  had  to  fall  backwards,  and  rolled  on 
one  side.  Leif  looked  at  him,  but  his  mental  faculties 
were  still  a  little  benumbed  by  sleep.  Then  he,  too, 
began  to  chuckle  inwardly.  When,  a  little  while  after, 
they  had  put  on  their  ski,  and  were  on  the  point  of  start- 
ing homeward,  Leif  stopped  suddenly,  and  reflected. 
Then  he  looked  Ingolf  in  the  eyes  and  reached  out  his 
hand.  He  did  not  utter  a  word,  but  pressed  his  hand 
and  looked  straight  in  his  eyes  again.  There  was  a 
slight  quiver  about  his  large  mouth. 

Then  quickly  they  loosed  each  other's  hands.  And 
they  started  off  home  at  full  speed.  They  were  as 
though  born  again,  and  did  not  feel  weariness,  cold,  or 
hunger.  By  their  side  raced  Ingolf's  dog,  his  warm, 
bright  red  tongue  hanging  far  out  and  his  tail  cheer- 
fully erect. 

So  they  sped  along  the  way  by  the  wood.  Down  the 
slopes  above  the  house  they  went  at  a  pelting  pace. 
When  at  last  they  were  at  home  in  the  courtyard,  and 
had  stowed  away  their  ski  in  the  outhouse,  the  dawn  was 
beginning  to  break.  No  one  was  up  yet.  Noiselessly 
they  crept  to  their  beds.  They  did  not  feel  bold  enough 
to  meet  any  one  this  morning.  The  best  thing  was  to 
take  refuge  in  sleep  from  all  explanations. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  53 

VI 

Helga,  though  she  had  only  lived  for  twelve  winters, 
knew  already  a  good  deal  of  life.  She  knew  what  it  was 
to  be  anxious  for  one  whom  she  loved.  Long  before  she 
was  conscious  of  her  love  for  Leif,  she  suffered  all  a 
lover's  anxiety.  Leif  took  her  thoughts  with  him  wher- 
ever he  went  and  travelled.  And  she  could  never  feel  se- 
cure about  him.  She  could,  on  the  other  hand,  be  sure 
that  if  she  had  not  seen  him  for  the  space  of  a  day,  not 
to  speak  of  the  occasions  when  he  was  absent  many  days, 
that  during  that  interval  he  had  been  once,  or  probably 
many  times,  near  the  border  of  the  next  world,  and  that 
it  was  at  any  rate  only  due  to  the  incredible  luck  which 
always  followed  him  that  he  came  home  with  whole 
limbs. 

She  knew,  in  fact,  the  long  days  and  still  longer  nights 
of  waiting  and  anxiety.      She  knew  what  it  was  to  lie 
awake  most  of  the  night  and  see  terrible  sights.     She 
turned  restlessly  on  her  bed,  and  neither  dared  to  close 
her  eyes  nor  to  stare  into  the  darkness,  because  every- 
where she  encountered  the  figure  of  him  she  loved,  either 
dead  or  dying.     She  had  learnt  to  prize  two  things  "\ 
which  a  woman,  who  must  generally  miss  and  be  anxious    \ 
for  him  she  loves,  cannot  live  without  —  dreaming  and     ( 
work.     She  knew  how  small  occupations  shorten  the  day, 
and  the  relief  won  by  showing  love  to  animals,  being  kind 
to  them,  and  lavishing  kind  words  upon  them,  and  she 
experienced  the  joy  it  gives  to  be  loved  by  dumb  crea- 
tures.    It  was  known  to  her,  also,  how  the  way  is  made 
easy  to  the  land  of  dreams,  where  the  hours  fly  quickly, 


54  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

by  busying  one's  hands  with  needle  and  thread.  When 
she  sat  making  something  ornamental  for  herself  or 
small  gifts  for  him,  there  were  moments  when  she  seemed 
to  triumph  over  distance,  and  felt  her  friend  so  near 
that  she  suddenly  let  her  hands  sink,  looked  up,  and  was 
quite  surprised  that  he  was  not  standing  behind  her. 
Was  it  because  she  did  not  look  up  quickly  enough? 
Just  before,  he  had  been  standing  there !  Helga,  with 
her  twelve  short  winters,  knew  also  happiness.  There 
was  the  happiness  of  seeing  Leif  come  home  radiant, 
and  hearing  his  dear,  glad  voice  tell  of  great  adventures. 
Leif  always  came  across  great  adventures,  so  that  his 
tongue  nearly  ran  away  with  him.  There  was  the  joy 
of  noticing  that  his  eye  always  sought  her  first,  and 
really  only  her.  It  was  a  joy  that  he  never  found  rest 
when  near  her,  except  at  her  side,  and  that  he  could 
only  be  quiet  and  lose  himself  in  dreams  when  she  held 
his  hand.  It  was  a  joy  finally  to  see  him  forget  every- 
thing, even  herself,  when  he  had  some  purpose  in  his. 
head,  or  was  bent  upon  going  to  some  other  place. 
Even  the  pain  at  seeing  herself  thus  forgotten  was 
mingled  with  the  deepest  feelings  of  joy.  For  that  was 
just  Leif's  way.  He  came  so  near  her  by  leaving  her. 
She  loved  him  exactly  as  he  was,  regardless  of  limits  and 
without  consideration.  Because  he  was  one  of  those 
whom  no  bond  holds,  it  was  such  a  happy  thing  to  know 
that  he  was  hers,  when  he  only  remembered  it  —  hers 
and  no  one  else's. 

And,  besides,  she  knew  that  she  could  not  cease  to 
love  him.  She  was  so  completely  convinced  that  though 
in  knightly  bravery  and  unbounded  courage  he  might, 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          55 

perhaps,  have  an  equal,  he  could  not  have  a  superior. 
It  was  impossible  for  her  to  cease  loving  him. 

Yes,  Helga  knew  happiness.  She  knew  what  it  was  to 
love,  and  to  feel  herself  beloved.  She  knew  by  experi- 
ence how  absence  deepens  and  intensifies  affection.  She 
felt  how  her  latent  longing  slowly  grew,  and  was  pre- 
pared to  burst  all  bonds.  She  possessed  in  full  measure 
woman's  pure  and  unbounded  devotion.  Matured  early 
as  she  was,  Helga  often  reflected  on  the  relation  between 
Leif  and  her  brother,  Ingolf,  which  caused  her  distress. 
She  was  fond  of  her  brother.  Ingolf,  though  fundamen- 
tally different  from  Leif,  was  such  that  if  she  once  had 
to  leave  him  in  order  to  follow  Leif,  she  would  not  make 
Leif  so  complete  and  happy  as  she  ungrudgingly  wished 
him  to  be.  Therefore  the  great  difference  in  their  char- 
acters caused  her  perpetual  anxiety  —  an  anxiety  which 
flamed  up  anew  whenever  Leif  and  Ingolf  became  angry 
with  each  other,  or  even  a  little  at  variance.  In  her 
heart  she  accused  them  alternately  —  Ingolf,  when  his 
phlegmatic  character  irritated  Leif ;  and  Leif,  when,  by 
his  hastiness  and  teasing,  he  provoked  Ingolf.  Neither 
Leif  nor  Ingolf  had  any  suspicion  of  Helga's  deep  dis- 
tress each  time  a  trivial  misunderstanding  divided  them 
for  a  short  time.  For  Helga  concealed  her  anxiety, 
and  fought  her  battle  in  silence. 

She  was  always  on  the  watch  for  the  fluctuations  in 
their  temperaments.  She  could  always  perceive  when 
they  had  been  at  variance,  even  when  they  had  been 
reconciled  and  had  forgotten  what  had  occurred,  before 
they  met  her.  When  anything  concerned  them,  she  was 
as  sensitive  as  a  feather  in  the  wind.  And  she  did  not 


56  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

cease  till  she  had  examined  the  cause  of  their  disagree- 
ment to  the  minutest  detail,  and  cleared  away  the  rem- 
nants of  ill-humour  which  might  still  remain  in  one  or 
both  of  their  minds.  They  felt  sometimes  that  it  was 
a  little  tiresome,  being  called  to  account  in  this  way. 
But  they  reconciled  themselves  to  it,  because  both  were 
so  fond  of  her,  and  because  she  was  wise,  quiet,  and 
impartial.  They  did  not  guess  at  all  that  she  fought 
for  her  future  happiness  with  a  heart  torn  by  anxiety, 
that  her  calm  had  been  won  by  a  severe  struggle,  that 
her  seeming  cool,  wise  impartiality  was  a  screen  behind 
which  she  concealed  herself. 

Helga  was  the  only  one  who,  to  a  certain  extent, 
discovered  the  real  circumstances  connected  with  their 
journey  over  the  heath.  She  was  also  the  only  one  who 
discovered  that  they  had  separated,  and  separated  in 
anger.  Finally,  she  was  the  only  one  who  obtained  a 
truthful  account  of  the  slaughter  of  the  horse. 

Originally  it  was  by  no  means  their  intention  that  she 
should  find  out  anything  of  the  matter.  When  Ingolf 
and  Leif  had  slept  uninterruptedly  for  twenty-four 
hours  after  their  return  from  Gaulum,  they  woke  the 
second  night,  towards  morning,  hungry  and  depressed, 
and  began  to  examine  the  situation.  They  hastily 
agreed  only  to  say  that  they  had  ridden  over  the  heath, 
and  up  there  had  been  obliged  to  kill  their  only  horse, 
and  for  the  rest  to  maintain  an  obstinate  silence.  If 
Orn  and  Rodmar  were  in  the  mood  to  punish  them,  they 
must  submit;  and,  for  the  rest,  ride  out  the  storm  as 
well  as  they  could. 

They  had  soon  discovered  that  Orn  and  Rodmar  had 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  57 

more  important  things  to  think  about.     It  was  enough 

for  them  that  the  boys  had  returned  home   safe  and 

sound.     They  told  them,  seriously,  that  it  was  not  the 

I   custom  of  a  man  of  honour  to  break  a  promise  once 

I    given,  and  that,  since  they  had  done  that,  they  could 

(    not  yet  be  accounted  men.     That  hurt  their  feelings 

rather,  but  had  to  be  borne.     Ingolf  and  Leif  discovered 

\    once  more  that  one  escapes  most  cheaply  when  one  has 

^  been  most  anxious.     So  lightly  did  their  fathers  deal 

with  them. 

With  Helga  it  was  another  matter.  She  held  on,  and 
held  on.  For  many  days  they  fought  manfully ;  they 
did  not  want  to  make  her  their  confidante  in  the  matter. 
But  she  was  not  to  be  shaken  off.  And  at  last  there 
came  the  moment  when  their  tongues  were  altogether 
loosed,  and  she  got  a  full  account,  down  to  the  minutest 
details. 

It  happened  in  the  following  way.  Their  plan  of 
defence  had  been  to  take  care  that  neither  should  be 
alone  with  her.  For  many  days  it  had  been  impossible 
for  her  to  find  them  in  a  remote  spot ;  not  once  had 
she  succeeded  in  getting  one  of  them  alone.  When  she 
saw  that  it  was  not  a  fair  fight,  she  had  recourse  to 
stratagem.  She  kept  silence  for  a  few  days,  and  they 
immediately  became  less  vigilant.  Then  she  brought 
out  some  wild  apples  which  she  had  kept  since  the 
preceding  summer.  She  made  them  believe  that  she 
had  seen  her  chance  to  snatch  them.  The  apples  smelt 
delicious.  Leif  and  Ingolf  were  immediately  willing  to 
share  the  supposed  stolen  goods  with  her.  So  she  suc- 
ceeded in  luring  them  into  her  ambush  —  an  outhouse 


58  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

where  they  could  eat  them  quietly.  She  let  them  bolt 
the  door  carefully,  so  that  they  should  not  run  the  risk 
of  being  surprised.  She  took  her  seat  on  the  edge  of  a 
sledge,  and  let  the  boys  sit,  one  on  each  side  of  her. 
And  then  she  spoke  in  a  way  to  cut  off  all  evasions,  and 
made  it  impossible  for  them  to  be  silent  any  longer. 
Too  late  they  discovered  that  they  had  been  caught  in  a 
trap. 

Embarrassed  and  unhappy,  they  began  their  confes- 
sion. With  red  faces  and  downcast  eyes,  they  related 
brokenly  and  alternately  what  had  happened  between 
them  on  the  heath  in  the  evening  and  the  night.  Each 
of  them  accused  himself  and  excused  the  other.  But 
Helga,  who  listened  with  more  than  her  ears  only,  be- 
came quite  clear  in  her  mind  regarding  what  had  hap- 
pened. 

Quite  still  she  sat  with  bowed  head,  and  let  them  tell 
their  narrative.  When  they  had  finished  and  were 
silent,  she  still  remained  still,  without  moving  or  speak- 
ing a  word.  At  last  her  silence  seemed  so  strange  to 
Leif  that  he  lifted  his  head  and  looked  at  her  in  alarm. 
And  what  he  saw  increased  his  fear.  She  sat  there  by 
his  side  with  her  face  white  and,  as  it  were,  sunk  in. 
Her  eyes  stared  straight  before  her,  her  mouth  was 
firmly  closed,  and  tears  trickled  from  her  despairing 
eyes  and  ran  down  over  her  pale  face.  Leif  felt  an 
icy  chill  run  through  his  whole  body  which  made  him 
shudder.  This  drew  Ingolf's  attention,  and  he  also 
looked  up.  He  had  never  seen  his  sister  look  like  that ; 
immediately  he  seized  one  of  her  hands.  It  was  ice-cold, 
and  remained  passive  in  his. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  59 

Tears  came  to  Leif's  eyes,  and  he  sat  there  inwardly 
helpless.  It  was  not  possible  for  him  to  bring  out  a 
word.  He  found  nothing  to  say,  and  simply  dared  not 
open  his  mouth,  for  he  was  on  the  point  of  weeping. 

Ingolf  was  the  first  to  speak.  He  pressed  his  sister's 
limp  hand,  shook  her  arm  cheerfully,  and  said :  "  You 
must  not  be  so  sad  about  that,  Helga.  We  have  for- 
gotten it  now.  And  each  of  us  has  certainly  vowed  in 
his  heart  that  it  shall  never  happen  again." 

Helga  opened  her  mouth  to  answer  him,  but  her 
tongue  would  not  obey  her.  She  had  to  struggle  hard 
to  control  her  emotion.  When  she  had  waited  a  little, 
she  at  last  began  to  speak.  "  That  is  just  it,"  she  said, 
with  a  broken  voice.  "  It  always  gets  worse  and  worse 
with  you  —  always  more  dangerous.  When  you  are 
grown,  you  will  not  so  easily  get  over  it,  nor  so  easily  be 
reconciled  afterwards.  Perhaps  you  will  even  fight  each 
other.  Perhaps  some  day  one  of  you  will  kill  the  other. 
If  things  go  on  like  this,  there  will  at  last  be  hatred 
between  you.  And  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

Ingolf  and  Leif  sat  and  felt  very  uncomfortable. 
Both  saw  for  once  the  relation  between  them  with  her 
eyes.  She  was  right.  Things  were  growing  continu- 
ally worse.  It  was  no  use  to  shut  their  eyes  to  the 
danger.  The  next  time  they  fell  out,  it  might  be  under 
such  circumstances  as  would  not  admit  of  their  being 
reconciled  again.  They  had  not  been  far  from  that  this 
last  time. 

Ingolf  was  the  first  who  found  firm  ground  in  his 
thoughts.  A  secret  purpose  was  suddenly  quickened 
in  him.  Hurriedly  he  rose  and  reached  out  his  hand 


60  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

to  Leif.  "Leif,  will  you  be  my  sworn  brother?"  he 
asked  quietly,  and  there  was  in  his  voice  and  bearing 
that  adult  composure  which  made  him  at  times  seem 
older  than  he  was. 

Leif  sprang  up  and  took  his  hand.  He  could  not 
bring  out  a  word,  but  gripped  hard.  Helga  remained 
sitting  and  looked  from  one  to  the  other.  Then  she  rose 
slowly,  laid  her  hands  over  theirs,  and  gave  each  of  them 
a  kiss.  "  Now  you  are  both  my  brothers,"  she  said, 
and  looked  at  the  same  time  at  Leif.  Her  look  made 
Leif  understand  that  he  was  more  than  a  brother.  He 
turned  red,  and  smiled  in  an  embarrassed  way.  He  had 
the  habit  of  blushing  easily.  His  embarrassed  smile 
was  very  charming. 

They  had  forgotten  the  apples.  Now  they  were  pro- 
duced, and  helped  them  over  the  slight  embarrassment 
which  followed  on  their  extreme  seriousness.  Gradually 
Leif  and  Helga  talked  fluently.  Ingolf,  on  the  other 
hand,  did  not  say  much.  He  sat  and  took  a  secret  oath 
that  henceforth  he  would  be  a  man,  and  no  overhastiness 
of  temper  should  master  him.  Nothing  should  by  any 
means  divide  him  from  Leif  or  Helga.  Now  he  and 
Leif  were  actually  brothers,  and  Leif  and  Helga  would 
hold  by  each  other,  he  knew.  Seldom  had  he  felt  so 
happy  as  at  this  moment.  Quite  unconsciously  he  sat 
and  enjoyed  his  sense  of  strength  and  quiet.  He  con- 
tinued so  to  sit  till  Helga  roused  him  with  a  question. 
Thus  they  talked  easily  and  enjoyed  being  together. 
When  they  separated,  they  had  agreed  that  the  solemn 
ceremony  of  initiation  into  blood-brotherhood  should 
take  place  in  the  spring  at  the  great  festival  which  was 
to  be  held  at  the  chief  temple  at  Gaulum. 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS          61 

VII 

Orn  and  Rodmar  were  able  to  make  the  winter  pass. 
They  sat  most  days  and  every  evening  on  the  high-seat, 
drank  beer,  and  enjoyed  each  other's  society. 

From  the  north  came  rumours  of  disturbance.  There 
was  still  peace  and  no  danger  in  Dalsfjord  and  its 
neighbourhood.  But  it  was  best  to  be  prepared  for 
everything. 

Now  that  Halvdan  the  Black  was  dead,  and  his  son, 
Harald,  made  King,  though  but  ten  years  old,  there 
were  several  kings  and  chiefs  who  suddenly  conceived  a 
desire  for  the  kingdom  which  Halvdan  the  Black  had 
established.  It  was  rumoured  that  Harald  and  his 
uncle,  Guttorm,  who  was  to  be  regent  during  the  two 
3rears  remaining  of  Harald's  minority,  had  already  gone 
out  to  meet  the  disturbers  of  peace. 

When  Orn  and  Rodmar  heard  of  it,  they  remembered 
the  exploits  of  their  youth.  The  latter  had  not  lost 
anything  by  being  related  through  many  years.  Listen- 
ers obtained  the  impression  that  Orn  and  Rodmar  had 
been  present  at  the  most  important  events  of  the  world, 
and  decided  their  issue.  And  it  was  not  only  men 
whom  they  had  encountered.  They  had  met  evil  and 
hidden  powers  in  manifold  forms.  And  here  they  sat 
after  all. 

Orn  and  Rodmar  were  reasonable  men,  who  spoke 
in  moderation.  When  one  had  spoken,  he  gladly  let  the 
other  have  his  turn.  And  while  the  one  who  was  silent 
played  the  part  of  an  attentive  hearer,  his  look  became 


62  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

absent,  he  thought  of  fresh  exploits,  brought  them  forth, 
and  arranged  them  in  his  mind.  Then  when  the  other 
at  last  was  silent  he  was  fully  prepared.  But  first  he 
nodded  courteously  and  said,  "  Yes !  Yes ! "  very 
thoughtfully,  and  still  kept  silence  for  a  moment  to  show 
that  he  had  been  following.  Then  all  at  once  he  became 
an  active  narrator.  "  But  now  here !  " 

The  servants  in  the  hall  were  amused,  but  not  in  any 
unbecoming  way.  They  winked  at  each  other  when  the 
old  men  did  not  see  it.  They  did  not  grudge  the  old 
men  their  reminiscences,  and  partly  believed  them.  But 
they  were  amused. 

And  Orn  and  Rodmar  showed  a  startling  faculty  at 
their  age  in  discovering  how  to  outdo  each  other's 
tales. 

When  they  had  bragged  their  best,  they  went  to  the 
temple  and  offered  their  fattest  animals  to  the  gods, 
feasted  in  their  honour,  and  gave  them  gifts.  They  did 
not  feel  quite  sure  whether  the  gods  allowed  so  much 
pride.  And  one  should  not  offend  the  gods,  but  keep 
on  good  terms  with  them. 

Thus  the  days  passed  for  Orn  and  Rodmar.  They 
grew  old,  sitting  in  the  high-seat  and  drinking  beer. 
They  drank  much  beer. 

VIII 

One  morning,  shortly  after  Ingolf  had  offered  Leif 
blood-brotherhood,  they  went  to  their  fathers  to  tell 
them,  and  ask  their  permission  for  the  ceremony  to  take 
place  at  the  feast  at  Gaulum  the  first  day  of  summer. 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  63 

Leif  found  his  father  in  bed.  When  he  had  spoken, 
Rodmar  praised  his  luck  in  strong  language,  added  that 
he  had  always  had  better  fortune  than  he  deserved, 
further  remarked  that  on  the  rare  occasions  that  he 
caused  his  father  joy  it  was  always  without  any  merit 
of  his  own,  and  bade  him  go  his  way  and  leave  him, 
Rodmar,  to  his  beer. 

Orn  was  sitting  in  the  high-seat,  slaking  his  morning 
thirst,  when  Ingolf  came  before  him  and  asked  permis- 
sion to  speak.  Orn  granted  it  with  a  nod  of  his  white- 
haired  head.  The  slightly  absent  look  did  not  disap- 
pear from  his  face ;  he  listened  without  moving  to  what 
his  son  had  to  say.  When  Ingolf  had  spoken,  Orn  re- 
mained sitting  silent.  Ingolf  was  not  sure  whether  he 
had  heard  what  he  had  said  or  not.  It  was  easy  to  see 
that  he  sat  in  deep  reflection.  Ingolf  remained  standing 
for  a  time,  waiting  for  an  answer.  When  he  saw  that  it 
was  in  vain,  and  that  his  father  had  probably  forgotten 
that  he  stood  there,  he  silently  departed. 

Orn  did  not  touch  his  drinking-horn  again  that  day. 
He  busied  himself  with  his  thoughts,  and  was  taciturn. 
Long  before  his  usual  time  he  sought  his  couch.  Early 
next  morning  he  summoned  Ingolf  curtly  and  bade  him 
follow  him.  He  led  him  to  an  outhouse  where  the  tools 
of  the  house  were  kept,  and  bolted  the  door  carefully. 
Then  he  took  his  seat  on  a  chopping-block  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor  and  sat  silent.  Ingolf  stood  before  him, 
awaiting  what  he  had  to  say,  and  carefully  restraining 
his  impatience. 

"  Sit  down,"  said  Orn  at  last  thoughtfully. 

Ingolf  sat  down  on  some  lumber  which  had  been  piled 


64  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

up  against  the  main  wall.  So  they  remained  sitting  a 
considerable  time.  Orn  was  long  in  commencing. 
"  You  have  told  me,"  he  began  at  last,  speaking  very 
slowly  and  with  constant  pauses,  "  that  you  intend  to 
enter  into  blood-brotherhood  with  your  cousin,  Leif. 
I  must  presume  that  you  are  acquainted  with  duties  of 
blood-brotherhood,  and  have  carefully  considered  the 
matter,  and  also  that  you  have  not  let  yourself  be  sur- 
prised into  talking  rash  vows,  or  have  followed  your 
feelings  alone  without  consulting  your  understanding. 
I  will  not  disguise  from  you  that  I  could  have  wished  a 
better  brother  for  you  in  this.  And  I  leave  it  to  your 
discretion  whether  the  circle  of  your  brotherhood  should 
not  be  extended  so  as  also  to  include  Atle  Jarl's  sons. 
On  many  grounds  I  have  been  led  to  understand  that 
these  young  men,  especially  Haasten,  would  not  be  un- 
willing to  exchange  the  bond  of  friendship  for  that  of 
brotherhood.  It  needs  but  a  word  on  your  part,  per- 
haps only  a  hint.  My  opinion  is  that  you  would  stand 
stronger  alone  than  with  Leif  as  your  sworn  brother. 
You  ought  to  be  intelligent  enough  yourself  to  perceive 
that.  But  the  three  would  balance  Leif,  and  more  than 
that.  You  would  stand  stronger  afterwards,  especially 
if  another  tie  subsequently  should  unite  us  to  Atle's 
sons,  which  I  do  not  regard  as  impossible.  For  the 
rest,  Leif  is  certainly  our  kinsman.  We  should  there- 
fore look  after  him,  and  perhaps  he  is  best  bound  in  that 
way.  I  do  not  wish  to  say  more  about  the  matter." 

Orn  was  silent  for  a  long  time.  Presently  he  resumed. 
"  I  feel  I  am  growing  old.  The  days  depart  and  do  not 
return  to  me.  They  seem,  as  it  were,  to  go  a  very  little 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  65 

way,  and  there  is  nothing  to  hold  fast  to  in  them;  they 
slip  through  my  hands." 

He  coughed,  reflected,  and  began  again.  "  Therefore 
I  have  considered  that  perhaps  it  would  be  best  if  I  were 
to  make  over  to  you  our  property  to  manage.  It  will  be 
good  for  you  to  be  early  accustomed  to  command  people 
and  to  bear  responsibility.  And  you  are  certainly  a 
child  no  longer.  I  will  therefore  gladly  see,  before  I 
die,  how  you  prosper  when  you  manage  by  yourself. 
For  the  rest,  I  leave  matters  without  anxiety  to  you,  and 
I  shall  be  at  hand,  and  can  be  useful.  I  will  also  ad- 
vise Rodmar  to  do  the  same  for  Leif.  Your  task  will 
certainly  be  increased  by  that,  for  you  will  have  to  look 
after  your  kinsman,  at  any  rate  at  first.  But  since  you 
wish  to  enter  into  brotherhood  with  him,  you  must  bear 
the  consequences.  There  is  no  more  to  be  said  about  it 
at  present.  We  must  have  time  to  prepare  the  matter, 
and  can  return  to  it  later.  There  was  also  another 
thing  I  wished  to  speak  to  you  about  today." 

Orn  was  silent  and  reflected.  Then  he  commenced 
again  hesitatingly,  not  without  a  certain  embarrass- 
ment. "  I  often  heard  in  her  time  your  mother  speaking 
with  you.  It  is  now  long  since,  and  you  were  little  at 
the  time.  Probably  you  have  forgotten  some  of  what 
she  said.  But  I  have  noticed  that  you  have  remembered 
part  of  it  —  perhaps  you  remember  every  word.  I  have 
never  spoken  to  you  of  your  mother.  You  have  never 
given  occasion  for  it,  and  one  should  not  talk  too  much. 

f  When  one  talks  too  much,  words  easily  become  mere 
wind.     Therefore  I  have  never  hitherto  spoken  with  you 

^  about  something,  of  which,  however,  I  wish  to  speak  with 


66  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

3rou  —  not  because  I  believe  it  necessary  —  perhaps  you 
are  already  as  clear  on  the  matter  as  myself  —  but  be- 
cause I  want  you  to  remember  that  I  have  spoken  to  you. 
The  fact  that  I  cannot  well  postpone  it  has  also  deter- 
mined me  to  speak  now. 

"  You  know  that  Odin  and  Thor  are  especially  my 
gods.  They  have  been  the  gods  of  our  family  as  far 
back  as  tradition  goes,  and  I  want  you,  like  your  fore- 
fathers, to  hold  them  especially  in  honour.  If  you  do 
that,  it  will  go  well  with  you.  For  wijdom_andstrength 
are  the  two  thisffs  a  man  must  have.  If  he  has  them, 


he  has   honour  too,  in  Valhalla   as  well   as   here  upon 
parth_J  Goods  anoTgold,  power  over  men,  and  great  pos- 
^     sessions  are  good  things,  which  you  should  strive  to  ac- 
)     quire,  and  hold  fast  when  you  have  them.     But  all  those 
things  can,  in  case  of  need,  be  dispensed  with.     Honour 
is  the  one  indispensable  thing,  because,  after  all,  it^is. 
the  only  thing  that~upTTffcf"a  man,  and  the  only  thing 
that  survives  him  on  earth,  when  he  is  dead  and  done 
with.     And  because  honour  can  be  lost  during  a  man's  v. 
i  lifetime,  a  dead  man  with  honour  preserved  is  happier  / 
j    than  the  man  who  is  still  alive,  and  whose  honour  is  ex-  j 
posed  to  peril.     It  is  not  necessary  to  impress  upon  you  } 
anything  else  than  that ;  when  your  honour  is  concerned,  ; 
you  must  be  prepared  to  stake  your  life.     The  memory    1 
of  a  man  outlives  him.     And  honour  casts  a  glory  over 
a  man's  memory,  just  as  dishonour  casts  a  shadow.     No     ( 
man  in  our  family  has  a  shadow  on  his  memory.     This 
is  the  most  important  thing  which  I  wish  to   say  to 
you.     But  if  you  have  the  patience  to  hear  me,  I  have 
something  more  to  say.     And  that  is  this.     You  shall 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  67 

respect  your  land's  law  and  justice,  for  as  long  as  you 
have  not  renounced  its  law,  you  are  bound  by  it,  and 
dishonour  yourself  by  breaking  it.     You  shall  not  stir 
up  unnecessary  quarrels,  but  avoid  disunion  and  strife, 
as  long  as  your  honour  is  not  injured.    Peace  in  the  land 
produces  fruitful  fields.     But  if  you  have  a  lawful  ven- 
geance to  inflict,  do  so  with  a  heavy  hand,  as  behoves 
one  born  to  such  a  place  as  yours.     But  be  always  reacjv^^ 
^£or    reconciliation   when   it   is    offered    sincerely.     An    J 
P   honourable   reconciliation   is   preferable   to    a  victory    I 
\   which  may  carry  in  it  the  seed  of  future  defeat.  <x*-' 

v— —  "  And  never  break  a  treaty,  for  only  a  wretch  ignoresX 
his  vows,  only  a  traitor  breaks  his  word.     A  brave  man  I 
is   prepared  to   support   his  least  word  with  his   life,    \ 
thereby  the  high-born  are  recognized.     The  churl,  on.  / 
the  other  hand,  regards  his  word  as  nothing  more  than/ 
the  breath  of  his  mouth.     His  tongue  shall  be  eaten  of) 
snakes,  and  his  evil  memory  will  ride  his  soul  like  a  night-' 
mare  for  ever." 

Orn  had  become  excited.  Then  he  was  silent,  com- 
posed himself  again,  meditated,  and  was  still. 

When  he  had  finished  meditating,  he  rose  solemnly 
and  drew  from  his  arm  a  heavy  gold  bracelet  graven 
with  runes  and  signs.  Ingolf  sprang  up  when  his  father 
rose,  and  remained  standing  before  him  with  bowed  head, 
and  his  bright  face  slightly  flushed. 

Orn  spoke :  "  This  bracelet  has  for  a  long  time  be- 
longed to  our  race,  and  has  always  been  an  heirloom 
in  the  head  branch  of  the  family.  Some  of  those  who 
bore  it  have  worn  it  till  their  death.  Others  have  trans- 
ferred it  to  the  future  wearer  when  they  found  that  their 


68  THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

time  was  near.     My  son,  I  am  growing  old,  and  it  is  no 

use  to  deny  it  or  to  hide  it.     Forgetfulness  is  getting 

more  and  more  the  mastery  over  me.     Reach  me  your 

hand." 

Ingolf  stretched  out  his  right  hand,  and  raised  his 
head.  There  was  a  moist  glimmer  in  his  eyes.  Deeply 
moved,  Orn  drew  the  bracelet  on  his  arm.  "  Now  you 
wear  the  ring." 

Ingolf  fell  on  his  knees  before  the  old  man,  and  Orn 
made  the  sign  of  the  Hammer  over  his  head,  and  said 
quietly :  "  Odin  give  you  wisdom,  and  Thor  strength. 
Frey  make  your  land  fruitful,  and  Njord  guide  your 
seafaring !  All  the  bright  Ases  help  thee !  Rise,  my 
son." 

Ingolf  rose  silently.  Orn  laid  his  hands  on  his  shoul- 
ders, looked  for  a  moment  closely  at  him,  and  let  him 
go.  They  went  out  into  the  courtyard  of  the  house. 
For  a  while  they  stood  there  silent,  side  by  side,  and 
looked  out  over  the  landscape  where  the  snow-covered 
mountains  rose  and  the  valleys  sank.  Ingolf  saw  every- 
thing, as  it  were,  with  new  eyes.  The  fjord  was  such  a 
crystal  blue,  and  seemed  to  have  something  to  say  to 
him.  The  dark  edge  of  the  wood,  which  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  here  and  there,  held  today  a  secret  and  cer- 
tain promise  of  the  spring  and  the  snow-free  earth. 
The  sky  was  high  and  clear,  and  the  day  had  a  solemn 
stillness  about  it.  The  frost  in  the  air  seemed  to  be 
relaxing.  In  Ingolf's  eyes  the  whole  scene  wore  a  sol- 
emn aspect,  and  seemed  in  a  way  newborn.  Even  the 
low  houses  with  snow-covered  roofs  seemed  to  have  al- 
tered their  appearance,  and  looked  twice  as  home-like. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  69 

When  Orn  went  in,  Ingolf  remained  standing  there,  and 
enjoyed  the  freshness  of  the  day. 

Orn  went  straight  in  to  the  high-seat  and  his  drink- 
ing-horn. His  throat  had  become  dry  from  much  talk. 
He  emptied  the  horn  in  a  moment  and  had  it  filled 
afresh.  He  emptied  the  horn  many  times  that  day. 


IX 

Ingolf  informed  Leif  in  carefully-chosen  words  that 
his  father  would  be  glad  if  they  extended  the  proposed 
brotherhood  so  as  to  include  the  sons  of  Atle.  Leif 
stood  looking  down  while  Ingolf  talked.  As  soon  as 
Ingolf  had  spoken  the  first  word,  he  felt  sorry  that  he 
had  brought  the  question  up  at  all.  Leif's  attitude 
had  an  effect  on  him.  He  stood  and  fumbled  with  words 
which  would  not  arrange  themselves  properly. 

When  he  finished,  Leif  looked  up  askance  at  him.  He 
did  not  say  much  at  first. 

Ingolf  felt  a  profound  and  unusual  depression.  He 
felt  as  if  he  had  in  some  degree  deceived  Leif.  "  I  only 
wished  to  tell  you  that,"  he  tried  to  add,  but  was  quite 
sure  that  his  voice  did  not  sound  convincing. 

"  What  do  you  think  yourself?  "  asked  Leif  at  last 
quietly,  and  looked  up  again,  still  with  a  rather  un- 
steady glance. 

"  I  have  never  thought  about  brotherhood  with  Atle's 
sons,"  answered  Ingolf  quietly,  suddenly  recovering  his 
equilibrium.  "  I  have  offered  you  brotherhood  with 
myself  alone,  and  am  therefore  prevented  from  forming 


yo  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

brotherhood  with  another.  But  I  understand  from 
what  my  father  said  that  there  perhaps  was  a  possibility 
that  Atle's  sons  would  like  to  enter  into  brotherhood 
with  us.  And  in  such  a  case  I  would  like  to  know  your 
opinion  beforehand." 

"  I  have  never  contemplated  forming  brotherhood 
with  Holmsten,"  answered  Leif  in  a  quiet,  firm  voice, 
quite  different  from  his  usual  one.  "  In  fact,  I  do  not 
choose  to  be  everybody's  brother." 

"  Well,  let  us  say  no  more  about  it."  Ingolf  tried  to 
speak  lightly. 

But  Leif  continued.  There  was  a  tremor  of  swelling 
wrath  and  distress  in  his  quiet  voice.  "  I  understand 
well  that  for  you  a  brotherhood  with  Atle's  sons  is  quite 
a  different  thing  from  brotherhood  with  me.  By  enter- 
ing into  the  blood-tie  with  them  you  gain  power  and 
consideration.  Do  you  enter  alone  into  brotherhood 
with  Atle  Jarl's  sons ;  I  will  not  stand  in  the  way.  I 
release  you  from  your  word.  I  am  able  to  stand  alone." 

Ingolf  paused  a  little  and  then  said :  "  You  mis- 
understand me,  Leif.  I  only  want  to  bring  the  matter 
before  you.  It  is  possible  that  I  should  not  have  done 
that.  But  I  took  for  granted  that  we  might  already 
talk  together  like  brothers.  I  will  gladly  confess  that, 
for  my  part,  I  might  think  it  good  to  enter  into  brother- 
hood with  Atle's  sons  —  yes,  I  should  even  like  to  have 
Haasten  for  a  brother.  But  I  could  not  think  of  enter- 
ing into  any  brotherhood  without  you.  There  is  no  one 
else  whom  I  would  rather  be  brother  to,  and  that  you 
know  well,  or  ought  to  know.  No  power  could  induce 
me  to  release  you  from  your  word,  Leif." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  71 

Leif  t>tood  thoughtful  awhile.  Then  he  raised  his 
head  and  looked  in  Ingolf's  eyes  with  a  firm  and  trust- 
ful look.  "  I  know  well,"  he  said  in  the  same  quiet  tone, 
"  that  I  am  not  the  best  brother  you  could  have.  But 
you  shall  never  have  reason  to  find  fault  with  my  faith- 
fulness. I  imagine,  Ingolf,  that  you  are  afraid  that  I 
shall  some  day  be  the  cause  of  enmity  between  you  and 
Atle's  sons.  With  my  good  will  that  shall  not  happen. 
My  temper  shall  never  again  get  the  mastery  of  me  be- 
fore Holmsten.  That  I  swear  to  you.  I  know  that  you 
like  Holmsten,  and  that  you  wish  to  preserve  that  friend- 
ship. You  shall  see  that  you  can  trust  me." 

The  two  cousins  pressed  each  other's  hands  in  silence. 
They  referred  no  more  to  the  matter. 


There  came  a  beggar  to  the  house :  an  old  bent  man, 
clothed  in  dirty  rags  and  torn  leather,  entered  the  hall 
one  evening  and  took  a  place  by  the  fire  on  the  outer- 
most bench.  There  he  sat  and  warmed  his  crooked 
fingers,  that  were  blue  with  cold,  and  meanwhile  squinted 
about  him  with  pale,  cunning  eyes.  As  he  sat  there, 
his  yellow  beard,  in  which  a  quantity  of  nondescript 
rubbish  had  been  caught,  hung  down  between  his  legs. 
His  grey  hair  lay  in  tatters  over  his  back.  But  his 
powerful  eyebrows  were  the  most  marked  feature  in  his 
face.  Grey  and  bushy,  they  almost  concealed  his  eyes 
when  they  were  lowered,  and  he  had  a  habit  sometimes 
of  drawing  them  both  up  together  and  slightly  lifting 


72  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

one  at  a  time,  which  gave  his  face  a  strangely  mobile, 
almost  animal,  expression. 

He  was  questioned  regarding  news  from  the  north, 
but  had  little  information  to  give.  As  soon  as  it  was 
evident  that  he  had  nothing  important  to  communicate, 
he  was  allowed  to  sit  in  peace  and  warm  himself.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  valued  being  left  to  himself.  When  he 
had  sat  for  a  while  and  warmed  his  hands,  he  loosed  the 
rags  from  off  his  legs  and  stretched  his  feet  to  the  fire. 
They  were  a  marvel  of  knotted  bones  and  dirt.  He 
looked  exhausted.  Some  remains  of  the  evening  meal 
were  brought  him.  He  received  the  food  with  a  grunt, 
set  it  upon  his  knee,  and  began  eating.  With  eager 
hands  he  first  sought  the  best  bits,  and,  groping  about 
in  the  food,  turned  the  contents  of  the  dish  round, 
chewing  with  his  whole  head.  He  certainly  could  eat. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  had  sought  a  place  near  him,  and  sat 
looking  attentively  at  him. 

"  I  think  he  can  hold  as  much  in  his  maw  as  a  cow," 
whispered  Leif,  absorbed  in  looking  at  him.  "  And  he 
mumbles  just  like  a  cow  chewing  the  cud.  Ha!  Ha! 
what  an  old  swine  he  is !  " 

The  beggar  emptied  the  dish  so  that  only  bare  bones 
remained.  Then  he  gulped  comfortably  and  relieved 
himself  of  air.  Subsequently  he  fell  into  a  cosy  nap 
while  he  digested.  Thus  he  sat  for  some  time,  ap- 
parently sound  asleep.  But  suddenly  he  raised  his  eye- 
brows both  together  and  peered  round  him  with  wide- 
open  pale  eyes. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  had  come  near  to  him,  and  were 
contemplating  him  closely  —  one  his  legs,  and  the  other 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  73 

his  face.  They  had  seldom  seen  anything  like  him.  He 
was  certainly  a  remarkable  object  both  above  and  below. 
He  sat  for  a  time  and  looked  at  them  without  saying 
anything,  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  contemplated 
them  closely,  and  gave  himself  plenty  of  time. 

"  Point  and  sword,"  he  said  at  last  in  a  deep  bass  tone. 
"  When  the  point  breaks,  exploits  are  over.  .  .  .  But 
you  sit  where  you  should."  He  turned  suddenly  to  In- 
golf  and  thrust  his  face  with  his  wide-opened  eyes  close 
to  his.  Then  he  drew  his  head  back,  murmuring  in  a 
deep  tone,  as  though  at  his  own  thoughts.  The  boys  be- 
lieved at  first  that  he  talked  in  delirium.  They  sat  still 
and  only  stared  at  him  —  Leif  with  his  mouth  half  open. 
"  A  curious  creature ! "  he  thought,  and  felt  internally 
much  amused. 

The  old  man  remained  still  for  some  time,  looking 
closely  and  a  little  cunningly  from  one  to  the  other. 
Their  staring  did  not  seem  to  affect  him.  "  Shall  I  tell 
you  something?  "  he  asked  at  last,  growling,  and  winking 
meaningly  with  his  pale  eyes.  "  Shall  I  tell  you  about 
the  new  land?" 

He  turned  his  face  with  his  eyebrows  elevated,  ques- 
tioning, and  turning  abruptly  from  one  to  the  other. 

In  the  face  of  such  a  direct  application  from  this 
queer  figure,  the  boys  became  at  first  a  little  embar- 
rassed. They  loked  at  each  other,  and  remained  sitting 
with  bowed  heads  and  fumbling  fingers. 

"  Well,  if  you  don't  choose  to  hear  it,  I  don't  choose 
to  tell  you,"  growled  the  old  grumbler,  shook  himself,  let 
his  eyebrows  sink,  and  withdrew  into  himself.  The  boys 
lifted  their  heads,  looked  at  him  and  at  each  other,  and 


74  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

suddenly  became  curious.  Ingolf  nodded  to  Leif  to 
commence,  and  Leif  blurted  out :  "  Let  us  hear,  old 
man !  " 

The  beggar  slowly  lifted  his  eyebrows,  but  not  in 
order  to  look  at  them.  It  seemed  as  if  he  had  forgotten 
them,  and  did  not  hear  what  Leif  said.  He  sat  staring 
in  front  of  him  into  the  fire  with  an  absent  look  in  his 
old,  strangely  bleached  eyes. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  said  at  last,  as  if  half  unwillingly. 
"  Anyhow,  it  is  all  the  same  to  me.  Why  should  I  tell 
you  about  it?  No  one  escapes  his  destiny." 

With  a  loud  and  luxurious  yawn  he  showed  them  an 
enormous  throat  behind  his  yellow  teeth.  Then  he 
closed  his  chaps  and  remained  sitting  silent  for  a  time. 
It  seemed  as  though  he  were  considering  whether  he 
wanted  to  open  his  mouth  at  all  again  that  evening. 

Leif  found  this  tedious,  and  summoned  up  his  courage. 
"  It  was  about  the  new  land  you  were  going  to  tell  us," 
he  said  persuasively.  And  when  the  old  man  did  not 
hear  him  he  added  inquiringly,  in  order,  if  possible,  to 
rouse  him  oat  of  his  silent  reverie :  "  Has  a  new  land 
been  discovered?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  that?  "  asked  the  old  man  hastily. 
"  Don't  you  even  know  that?  "  he  repeated  incredu- 
lously. The  boys  shook  their  heads  negatively. 
"  Then  it  is  not  too  early  you  come  to  know  that,  if  one 
told  you.  So  you  do  not  even  know  that.  Ah,  old 
Norns !  How  you  can  spin.  You  look  after  the  loom 
without  wavering  even  when  the  motley  yarn  is  blood- 
coloured.  Perhaps  the  one  who  sees  should  be  silent. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  75 

No,  some  time  you  will  have  to  know  it.     Have  you 
never  heard  of  the  new  land?  " 

After  a  repeated  shake  of  the  head  on  the  part  of  the 
two  boys,  he  continued :  "  One  late  summer,  some  years 
back,  Naddod  the  Viking  intended  to  sail  from  Norway 
to  the  Faroe  Islands.  But  the  gods  granted  him  no 
good  wind,  either  because  he  had  neglected  to  sacrifice, 
or  in  some  other  way  incurred  the  displeasure  of  Odin 
and  Njord.  They  sent  him  a  storm,  and  drove  him  so 
far  westward  that  at  last  he  believed  he  was  near  Gin- 
nimgagab,  where  the  seas  pour  down  into  Helheim,  but 
instead  of  this  he  came  to  a  great  land.  He  ascended  a 
high  mountain  to  see  if  he  could  find  a  sign  that  the 
land  was  inhabited.  But  no  smoke  was  to  be  seen 
anywhere,  nor  any  other  sign  of  folk  did  he  find. 
When  he  sailed  from  the  country  again,  much  snow  had 
fallen  on  the  mountains.  Therefore  he  called  the 
country  Snowland.  He  and  his  people  said  that  it 
was  a  good  land.  So  some  years  passed  without  any- 
thing more  being  heard  of  the  new  country.  There 
was  a  Swede,  named  Gardar  Svavarsson,  who  had  pos- 
sessions in  Denmark,  who  sailed  from  Sealand  to  fetch 
his  wife's  inheritance  in  the  south.  When  he  had 
sailed  through  Pettlandsfjord,  he  encountered  a  storm 
and  went  adrift.  So  he  drifted  to  the  west  and  came  to 
the  new  land.  He  sailed  farther  along  its  coasts,  and 
discovered  that  it  was  an  island.  He  built  a  house 
by  a  bay  which  he  called  Husevig,  and  wintered  there. 
When  he  sailed  from  the  land  the  next  spring  the  wind 
tore  a  boat,  which  he  had  in  tow,  loose.  In  the  boat 


76  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

was  a  serf  named  Natfare  and  a  serf-woman.  Per- 
haps they  managed  to  effect  a  landing  and  settled  in 
the  place.  Gardar  praised  the  country  much.  He 
reported  that  it  was  wooded  from  the  heath  to  the 
sea,  and  had  luxuriant  pastures.  He  gave  it  the  name 
Gardarsholme.  It  retained  the  name  between  man  and 
man  until  Floke  Vilgerdsson  had  been  there.  Floke, 
who  was  a  powerful  Viking,  equipped  a  ship  in  Rogaland 
to  seek  Gardarsholme.  He  loaded  his  ship  in  Smor- 
sund.  Before  he  sailed,  he  aranged  a  sacrificial  feast, 
at  which  he  sacrificed  and  conjured  magic  powers  into 
three  ravens.  Therefore  he  has  since  been  called 
'  Raven-Floke.'  A  sea-mark  was  raised  where  the  feast 
had  taken  place,  and  was  called  '  Floke's  Sea-mark.' 
It  stood  on  the  border  between  Hordaland  and  Roga- 
land. First  Raven-Floke  sailed  to  Hjaltland  and  cast 
anchor  in  a  bay  which  was  named  Floke's  Bay.  At 
Hjaltland  his  daughter,  Geirhild,  was  drowned  in  a 
lake,  since  called  Geirhild's  Lake.  From  Hjaltland 
he  sailed  to  the  Faroe  Islands,  where  he  gave  one  of 
his  daughters  in  marriage.  Thence  he  put  out  to  sea, 
taking  the  three  ravens  with  him.  When  he  had  sailed 
for  a  day  and  a  night,  he  let  the  first  raven  loose. 
It  flew  astern  and  disappeared  in  the  direction  from 
which  they  had  come.  Then  he  sailed  for  a  day  and 
a  night  more,  and  let  the  second  raven  loose.  It  flew 
aloft  and  returned  to  the  ship.  Again  he  sailed  a  day 
and  a  night,  and  let  the  third  raven  go.  It  flew  for- 
ward and  did  not  return.  When  they  sailed  farther 
in  the  direction  in  which  it  had  disappeared,  they  found 
the  land  they  sought.  Floke  had  on  board  a  man  named 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  77 

Faxe.  When  they  came  to  a  broad  fjord,  Faxe  spoke 
and  said :  *  This  is  certainly  a  great  land  we  have 
found  —  here  are  mighty  rivers.'  Therefore  the  fjord 
was  named  '  Faxe-mouth.'  Raven-Floke  did  not  sail 
into  the  fjord.  He  sailed  past  a  headland  with  a 
mighty  snow-covered  mountain  on  it,  and  across  a 
broad  bay  with  many  islands  and  skerries.  He  landed 
at  a  fjord  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay,  which  he  called 
Vandfjord,  and  the  coast-line  he  called  Bardestrand. 
The  fjord  was  full  of  fish.  They  were  so  absorbed  in 
catching  the  quantities  of  fish  that  they  forgot  to  pro- 
cure hay ;  therefore  the  sheep  and  cattle  they  had 
brought  with  them  died  in  the  winter  from  want  of 
fodder.  The  spring  was  fairly  cold.  Floke  ascended 
a  high  mountain  one  day  in  spring  and  saw  north  of  it 
a  fjord  packed  full  with  sea-ice.  Therefore  he  chris- 
tened the  land  and  named  it  Iceland.  He  meant  to  have 
sailed  away  that  summer,  but  before  they  were  ready 
to  sail  it  was  autumn,  and  the  weather  became  stormy. 
Floke  had  on  his  ship  two  peasants,  Thorolf  and  Haer- 
jolf.  When  they  were  at  the  last  ready  to  sail,  the 
storm  tore  away  a  boat  from  them,  and  in  the  boat  sat 
Haerjolf.  Haerjolf  landed  at  a  place,  to  which  he 
gave  his  name  and  called  it  Haerjolf's  Haven.  Raven- 
Floke,  who  did  not  wish  to  sail  without  Haerjolf,  put 
back  to  land  and  brought  his  ship  uninjured  into  a 
fjord  which  he  called  Havnefjord.  At  a  river's  mouth 
in  the  fjord  they  found  a  whale  driven  on  shore.  Haer- 
jolf had  also  scented  the  whale,  and  there  they  met. 
They  called  the  river's  mouth  Hvalore.  They  sailed 
thence  and  wintered  in  a  fjord,  on  which  Raven-Floke, 


78  THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

who  had  had  enough  of  the  land,  did  not  choose  to  lavish 
a  name.  When,  on  their  arrival  home,  they  were  asked 
about  the  new  land,  Floke  had  only  evil  to  report. 
Haerjolf,  on  the  other  hand,  praised  it  moderately, 
mentioned  its  advantages,  and  did  not  conceal  its  de- 
fects. But  Thorolf  declared  that  butter  dripped 
from  every  straw  in  the  land,  therefore  he  was  after- 
wards called  '  Butter-Thorolf.' 

"  And  I  have  no  more  to  tell  you  about  the  new 
land,"  concluded  the  beggar  rather  suddenly,  and  shook 
himself  uncomfortably — "you  can  yourselves  go  and 
see  it." 

When  he  stopped  speaking,  Ingolf  and  Leif  sat  for  a 
time  and  stared  at  him.  "Why  should  we  do  that?  " 
asked  Ingolf  at  last.  "  We  have  no  mind  to  change 
our  abode." 

The  old  man  returned  no  answer.  Leif  sat  thought- 
ful. When  he  spoke  at  last  his  voice  was  muffled  and 
seemed  far  away.  "  It  would  be  amusing  to  see  that 
land  for  once." 

"  You  will  see  it,"  growled  the  old  man,  and  there 
was  a  peculiar  malicious  exultation  in  his  harsh  voice 
— "  you  will  have  time  enough  to  see  it,  I  think." 
Suddenly  life  came  into  him  afresh,  and  his  voice  be- 
came sharp  and  obtrusive.  "  Get  me  a  jug  of  beer, 
and  I  will  tell  you  much  more ;  I  will  show  you  a  piece 
of  the  Norns'  web,  hoho !  A  charming  piece.  They 
have  twisted  threads  that  you  can  never  guess.  Bring 
me  beer,  and  you  shall  hear  something." 

Ingolf  felt  overcome  by  a  strange  and  unusual  bodily 
depression,  and  rose  hastily.  His  spirits  were  suddenly 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  79 

upset,  and  he  felt  almost  ill.  "  Beer  you  shall  have," 
he  answered  curtly  and  coldly.  "  But  now  I  think  we 
have  heard  enough  for  the  evening.  Come,  Leif." 

Leif  rose  a  little  unwillingly.  It  was  possible  that 
the  old  man  had  more  information  to  give  about  the  new 
land.  Why  not  hear  him  to  the  end,  even  if  he  did  talk 
some  nonsense  between  whiles?  But  as  Ingolf  did  not 
wish  it,  it  was  all  the  same  to  him.  He  could  himself 
speculate  further  about  the  island  out  there  in  the 
garden,  and  go  into  the  whole  matter  more  closely  with 
Ingolf. 

The  beggar  had  a  jug  of  beer  brought,  which  he 
emptied  in  small  draughts  in  order  to  relish  it  better. 
Then  he  lay  down  by  the  fire,  curled  himself  into  a 
bundle,  and  slept.  He  remained  lying  there  for  the 
night ;  the  next  morning  he  wandered  farther.  When 
Leif  sought  him,  in  order  to  question  him  more  closely, 
he  had  gone.  Leif  tried  to  talk  with  Ingolf  about  the 
new  land.  But  Ingolf  was  always  occupied  with  some- 
thing else  when  Leif  began  to  talk  about  Iceland.  Leif 
did  not  observe  that  Ingolf  with  deliberate  intention 
avoided  the  subject. 

Ingolf  could  not  free  himself  from  a  certain  anxiety 
that  Leif  might  become  too  interested  in  the  new  dis- 
covery which  the  beggar  had  reported  to  them.  It 
would  be  like  Leif  suddenly  to  begin  to  make  plans  to  go 
there,  perhaps  migrate  and  settle  there.  That  must 
not  happen,  for  Leif  became  unstable  when  he  had  con- 
ceived an  idea,  especially  if  it  were  rather  an  unusual 
one.  No,  Ingolf  wished  to  remain  in  Dalsfjord,  in  his 
father's  house.  He  was  strongly  averse  from  every- 


8o  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

thing  which  smacked  of  wandering  and  adventure.  By 
his  prudent  methods  he  soon  brought  Leif  to  forget 
the  new  land. 

XI 

The  winter  was  nearing  its  end.  After  Goi  came 
Enemaaned,  and  then,  in  the  midst  of  spring,  a  fine 
Thursday  ushered  in  Harpe,  the  first  month  of  summer. 

On  the  first  summer  day  there  was  held  in  this  part 
of  the  land  a  great  sacrificial  feast  at  Gaulum,  which 
lasted  three  days  and  nights.  On  that  occasion  there 
assembled,  at  the  residence  of  the  Jarl,  chiefs  and  yeo- 
men from  distant  parts,  each  bringing  for  himself  some 
food  and  a  large  quantity  of  beer.  Especially  was  it 
obligatory  on  those  who  were  preparing  Viking  expedi- 
tions for  the  summer  not  to  remain  away,  if  they  wished 
for  honour  and  victory  in  their  undertaking. 

From  the  early  morning  the  place  began  to  be  alive. 
Great  crowds  were  seen  gathering  from  all  sides.  The 
sun  was  reflected  from  new-polished  weapons,  and  shone 
on  parti-coloured  shields.  The  house-servants  were 
for  the  most  part  dressed  in  suits  of  grey  home-spun 
frieze,  but  the  peasants  and  their  sons  appeared  in 
splendid  foreign-made  clothes.  Red,  blue,  green,  and 
parti-coloured  chequered  cloaks  were  seen  in  each  com- 
pany. 

All  day  people  continued  to  assemble  at  the  house. 
The  days  passed  in  putting  up  tents,  preparing  for  the 
festival,  seeking  out  friends  and  acquaintances,  making 
appointments  for  the  summer,  and  settling  various 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  81 

accounts.  Atle  Jarl  was  invisible  that  day.  Only  his 
closest  friends,  and  people  who  sought  him  on  important 
business,  were  taken  to  the  room  where  he  had  hid 
himself,  busily  absorbed  as  he  was  in  arranging  or  pre- 
paring arrangements  for  his  own  and  others'  affairs. 

Among  those  who  sought  him  that  day  and  had  audi- 
ence of  him  was  Orn  Bjornulfsson.  Their  conversation 
was  quite  short,  and  resulted  in  Atle  Jarl  sending  for 
his  eldest  son,  Haasten.  Haasten  was  only  for  a  mo- 
ment in  the  room  with  his  father.  His  brothers,  Haer- 
sten  and  Holmsten,  waited  meanwhile  outside.  Haasten 
told  them  nothing  about  his  conversation  with  his  father. 
And  when  Haasten  did  not  speak  of  his  own  acord,  his 
brothers  did  not  question  him.  Haasten,  Haersten, 
and  Holmsten  went  about  and  bade  every  newly  arrived 
chief  welcome.  They  wore  splendid  clothes,  and  carried 
valuable  weapons  and  ornaments.  Over  his  shoulders 
each  of  the  brothers  wore  a  long  cloak  of  heavy  silk  — 
Haasten  a  red  one,  Haersten  a  blue  one,  and  Holmsten 
a  green  one. 

They  were  all  three  fine-looking  youths,  tall  and  well- 
built,  fair-haired,  with  noble  features  and  quiet  demean- 
our. As  they  went  about  bidding  the  guests  welcome, 
side  by  side,  Haasten  on  the  right  and  Holmsten  on  the 
left,  few  remembered  having  seen  three  such  fine-looking 
fellows  together.  They  were  very  popular ;  very  many 
sought  their  friendship,  but  few  won  their  confidence. 

Among  these  few  were  Ingolf  and  Leif.  Haasten 
made  no  attempt  to  conceal  his  gladness  when  he  greeted 
the  two  cousins.  Ingolf  was  the  special  object  of  his 
warm  friendship.  He  included  Leif  because  he  was  once 


82  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

for  all  inseparable  from  his  cousin,  and  because  in  spite 
of  everything  he  liked  him,  and  silently  admired  him 
for  his  courage. 

Walking  slowly,  the  three  brothers  turned  back  to  the 
place  where  Ingolf  and  Leif  were  superintending  the 
erection  of  tents,  but  their  fathers  had  already  disap- 
peared. They  had  found  a  place  of  honour  in  the  hall, 
where  individual  guests  were  received.  There  they  sat, 
tasted  the  brewing  of  the  house,  and  compared  notes 
on  the  latest  news  with  like-minded  friends. 

Ingolf  observed  at  last  that  Haasten  especially 
wanted  something  with  him  that  day,  and  accordingly 
arranged  that  they  should  be  alone  for  a  while.  Haas- 
ten  went  straight  to  the  point.  "  I  hear,  Ingolf,  that 
you  and  Leif  will  tomorow  enter  brotherhood.  I  have 
expected  that  some  time  it  would  come  to  that,  but  it  is 
happening  somewhat  sooner  than  I  had  expected." 

Ingolf  interrupted  him,  though  he  well  understood 
that  he  had  not  finished  what  he  had  to  say.  He  told 
Haasten  briefly,  but  without  concealing  anything,  about 
their  journey  home  after  their  last  visit  to  Gaulum. 
He  hinted  that  Leif  and  he  certainly  were  both  anxious 
to  enter  into  an  unbreakable  bond. 

"  You  know  Leif,"  he  concluded.  "  You  know  how 
imprudent  he  is,  and  how  he  needs  protection.  The 
Cshield  that  shall  protect  him  will  receive  dints.  But  a 
shield  he  must  have,  and  that  shield  I  will  be." 

"  Do  you  think  that  it  would  be  of  use  if  Leif  at  the 
same  time  obtained  other  shields  ? "  Haasten  asked 
quietly.  Ingolf  grew  a  little  pale,  a  fact  which  did  not 
escape  Haasten.  For  a  while  they  stood  and  looked  into 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  83 

each  other's  eyes.  There  was  a  strange  silence  between 
them.  Both  felt  that  now  their  destinies  were  being 
settled.  At  last  Ingolf  reached  Haasten  his  hand. 
"  Haasten,  my  friend,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  hope 
that  we  will  always  stand  side  by  side  where  the  word  of 
friendship  sounds  as  well  as  where  weapons  speak.  But 
I  think  Leif  would  feel  a  defence  of  shields  as  a  prison." 

Haasten  remained  standing  quite  still  with  his  friend's 
hand  in  his,  and  looked  into  his  eyes.  Both  had  a 
troubled  look.  Then  Haasten  said  quietly :  "  You  have 
spoken,  and  it  cannot  well  be  otherwise.  Let  us  each 
for  himself  keep  a  good  watch  on  our  brothers.  I  have 
a  sure  foreboding  that  it  will  be  needed."  He  gave 
Ingolf's  hand  a  final  pressure  and  released  it.  Silently 
they  returned  to  the  tents  where  Leif  stood  engaged  in 
friendly  and  cheerful  conversation  with  Haasten's 
brothers.  Leif  had  produced  the  knife  which  Holm- 
sten  gave  him,  and  was  showing  with  gestures  and  much 
hilarity  how  he  had  succeeded  in  killing  the  horse. 

"  The  belt  is  paid  for,  Holmsten,"  he  concluded 
cheerfully.  "Your  knife,  which  once  should  have  taken 
my  life,  has  saved  it.  If  you  have  an  ax,  hew  at  me  and 
make  me  a  present  of  it  afterwards.  I  need  an  ax ;  my 
father  will  not  give  me  one.  He  fears  I  might  test  its 
usefulness  a  little  too  much.  I  have  tried  to  steal  one 
from  him.  But  he  has  locked  the  weapons  up  in  a  chest 
which  I  cannot  open." 

Leif  stopped  when  Ingolf  and  Haasten  came  up.  A 
hasty  glance  convinced  him  that  something  had  taken 
place  between  the  two.  They  were  very  quiet.  He 
thrust  the  knife  noisily  into  its  sheath,  and  involuntarily 


84  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

straightened  his  body  from  its  careless  attitude.  Soon 
after,  Haasten  and  his  brothers  withdrew.  Haastefl 
went  straight  to  his  father.  "  Is  the  matter  ar- 
ranged? "  asked  Atle  Jarl.  "  No,  I  have  been  con- 
sidering it,"  answered  Haasten,  who  did  not  wish  to  give 
his  father  full  information.  "  I  fear  that  brotherhood 
with  Leif  Rodmarsson  will  cause  us  too  many  difficul- 
ties." 

"  Very  possibly,"  answered  Atle.  "  But  Ingolf  is  a 
good  fellow,  and  will  inherit  much  property.  His 
family  has  many  friends,  and  will  be  a  good  support 
in  disturbed  times." 

"  My  friendship  with  the  cousins  is  independent  of 
their  entering  brotherhood." 

"  Perhaps,"  answered  the  Jarl  dryly.  "  You  are  in 
any  case  master  over  your  proceedings.  My  advice 
was  only  advice.  May  you  never  regret  not  having 
followed  it." 

Haasten,  who  saw  that  his  father  was  angry,  did  not 
answer,  but  saluted  him  respectfully  and  retired.  He 
was  depressed  and  filled  with  heavy  forebodings,  but 
tried  to  conceal  it  as  much  as  possible. 

The  day  began  to  decline.  Atle  Jarl  had  taken 
measures,  and  all  the  arrangements  for  the  feast  were 
ready.  The  animals  destined  for  sacrifice  were  not 
allowed  out  at  all  that  day.  The  fine,  powerful  horses 
which  were  to  be  offered  to  Odin  stood  stamping  their 
hoofs  impatiently  in  the  stables.  A  flock  of  sheep,  like- 
wise meant  to  appease  the  All-Father,  pressed  against 
one  another,  patiently  resigned  to  their  fate,  in  a  pen, 
rested  their  heads  on  each  other's  backs,  and  chewed  the 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  85 

cud  over  the  last  remains  of  the  contents  of  their 
stomachs,  now  and  then  shaking  their  ears  a  little  dis- 
contentedly. Plump  oxen  and  bulls  which,  with  one 
exception,  should  soon  bleed  in  honour  of  Odin,  bel- 
lowed in  all  kinds  of  tones  and  butted  against  the  beams 
of  the  stalls.  In  an  outhouse  lay  nine  serfs  and  crim- 
inals with  their  hands  tied  behind  them.  They  were  to 
be  hung  in  order  to  join  the  storm-god's  wild  hunt. 
That  day  it  was  chiefly  Odin  who  received  offerings. 
But  there  was  also  a  little  diversion  destined  for  Thor. 
Away  in  a  corner  of  the  outhouse,  where  the  serfs 
waited  for  the  rope,  lay  a  ragged  bundle.  It  was  the 
serf-woman,  Trude,  who  had  been  guilty  of  stealing, 
and  who,  as  she  must  somehow  say  good-bye  to  life, 
might  as  well  be  utilized  as  an  offering  to  Thor  the 
Thunderer.  When  the  pale  twilight  of  the  evening  had 
drawn  its  light  veil  over  the  landscape,  softened  its 
sharp  outlines  and  changed  them  to  vague,  shadowy 
contours,  people  began  to  gather  round  the  temple.  All 
their  weapons  they  had  left  under  guard  in  their  tents. 
The  temple  at  Gaulum  was  an  old  chief  temple  built 
long  before  the  house  became  a  Jarl's  seat.  The  dig- 
nity of  high  priest  had  from  time  immemorial  descended 
from  father  to  son,  and  Atle  Jarl  the  Slender  had  thus 
inherited  it.  The  temple  was  a  large  and  spacious  edi- 
fice, built  of  heavy  beams,  with  its  entrance  by  a  main- 
wall  furnished  with  gables.  Burning  and  smoking 
pitch-torches  hung  fixed  in  heavy  iron  rings  on  the 
walls,  each  watched  by  a  serf.  On  entering,  one  per- 
ceived in  this  flickering  light  only  indistinct  images  of 
gods  who  sat  on  their  platforms  behind  a  low  partition- 


86  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

wall  away  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  temple.  Within 
the  wall  no  ordinary  person  ventured  to  tread ;  only 
the  priest  and  his  consecrated  assistants,  helpers  in 
the  sacrifice,  might  go  there.  The  gods  sat  arranged 
in  a  spacious  semicircle.  There  were  several  of  them, 
both  male  and  female.  Most  were  splendidly  dressed, 
some  even  adorned  with  gold  rings  and  precious  stones. 
But  the  three  chief  gods,  Odin,  Thor,  and  Frey,  who 
sat  in  the  midst  of  the  semicircle,  drew  the  spectator's 
chief  attention.  In  the  centre  was  enthroned  Thor  — 
here,  as  in  many  other  places  in  Norway,  the  chief  ob- 
ject of  worship.  Thor  sat  in  his  thunder-chariot,  to 
which  were  yoked  painted  goats  with  gilded  horns. 
The  goats  were  on  wheels,  as  though  on  the  point  of 
drawing  the  chariot  from  its  place  in  the  chief  pro- 
cession at  Thor's  festivals.  In  his  right  hand  Thor 
held  his  short-handled  hammer  high  uplifted.  He  had 
an  awe-inspiring  aspect.  Straight  in  front  of  him  was 
a  thin  slab  of  rock  with  a  sharp  upper  edge,  placed 


On  the  right  of  Thor  sat  Odin  in  a  waggon,  both 
larger  and  more  magnificent  than  Thor's,  but  without 
animals  to  draw  it.  Odin  sat  on  a  chair  adorned  with 
runes  and  sacred  signs.  He  held  a  long  spear  in  his 
hand,  and  stared  threateningly  with  his  one  eye. 

On  the  left  of  Thor  sat  Frey.  His  platform  was  a 
great  stone,  covered  with  a  parti-coloured  carpet.  In 
contrast  to  the  other  gods  he  sat  naked,  holding  a  stag's 
horn,  his  only  weapon,  high  in  his  right  hand. 

In  the  midst  of  the  semicircular  space,  on  a  special 
elevation,  stood  a  great  stone  basin  in  which  the  blood  of 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  87 

the  offerings  was  collected.  In  the  bowl  lay  a  rod,  used 
to  stir  the  blood  and  then  to  sprinkle  it  around.  On 
the  mound  lay,  besides,  the  Sacred  Bracelet,  a  heavy, 
open  circlet  of  gold,  inscribed  with  sacred  signs,  on 
which  all  oaths  were  taken. 

When  the  people  had  assembled  in  the  temple,  Atle 
Jarl  the  Slender  entered,  followed  by  his  assistants. 
He  wore  white  clothes  with  red  borders.  His  assistants 
were  also  dressed  in  white. 

When  Atle  Jarl  entered,  carrying  a  broad-bladed, 
long-handled  ax  over  his  shoulder,  taller  by  head  and 
shoulders  than  most  of  those  present,  thin  and  erect  like 
the  branch-lopped  stem  of  a  fir,  he  caused  a  gasp  in 
many  a  young  breast,  and  even  old,  hardened  Vikings 
felt  a  slight  shudder  in  their  backs.  This  man  stood 
at  that  moment  in  covenant  with  the  gods.  They  were 
brought  into  touch  with  the  Unknowable.  There  was  a 
death-like  silence  in  the  temple. 

Atle  Jarl  walked  with  dignity  between  the  thick- 
packed  masses  of  men  on  both  sides.  At  the  partition- 
wall  his  assistants  remained  standing  for  a  while;  only 
the  priest  could  go  within.  He  placed  the  ax  on  the 
mound  where  the  basin  stood.  He  saluted  the  three 
chief  gods  with  a  slow  and  solemn  bending  of  the  knee 
before  each,  and  then  included  the  other  gods  in  one. 
Then  he  went  back  muttering  secret  words,  took  the 
sacrificial  bracelet  from  its  place,  and  drew  it  on  his 
right  arm,  seized  the  ax  with  his  left  hand,  and  raised 
his  right  arm  in  command.  That  was  a  signal  to  the 
door-guard. 

The  most  splendid  of  all  the  sacrificial  animals,  a 


88  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

coal-black  ox  with  shining  head  and  large,  crooked 
horns,  was  brought  in  by  serfs,  and  led  to  the  partition- 
wall  by  other  serfs,  chosen  as  sacrificial  helpers,  and 
consecrated  to  the  service.  At  the  same  time  two  of 
the  priest's  assistants  came  forward,  lifted  the  bowl 
from  the  mound,  and  placed  it  a  little  way  off.  The 
ox  resisted  violently  when  led  in,  and  uttered  angry 
bellowings.  It  foamed  with  frenzy,  and  showed  the 
whites  of  its  eyes. 

Atle  Jarl  stood  with  his  left  foot  advanced  and  his 
ax  lifted  in  both  hands.  At  the  instant  the  ox  was 
placed  in  the  proper  spot  the  ax  fell  with  a  powerful 
and  practised  aim  on  its  neck.  The  beast  gave  a  bellow 
and  sank  on  its  knees.  Immediately  the  serfs  stood  over 
it  with  long  knives.  A  stab  in  the  neck  and  a  cut 
between  the  neck  arteries,  and  then  down  with  it  to  the 
basin,  so  that  the  precious  sacrificial  blood  should  not 
be  spilt.  Meanwhile,  one  of  the  assistants  kept  stirring 
the  blood  in  the  bowl  with  a  rod  so  that  it  should  not 
coagulate. 

When  the  last  drop  of  blood  had  been  drawn  off  in 
the  bowl,  the  assistants  raised  the  dead  body  by  a  rope 
and  carried  it  beyond  the  partition-wall.  There  it  was 
received  by  other  serfs,  who  carried  it  outside  and 
immediately  set  to  work  to  skin  it. 

Other  animals  were  now  brought  forward.  One  by 
one  they  were  killed,  and  their  blood  emptied  into  the 
bowl.  But  their  bodies  were  not  carried  out  after- 
wards, like  the  ox's.  They  were  thrown  on  one  side,  and 
left  to  wait  till  the  sacrifices  were  over. 

A  speckled  bull  was  offered  to  Frey.     All  the  other 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  89 

animals  were  offerings  to  Odin,  the  god  of  battle,  so 
that  he  should  give  success  and  victory  to  the  Viking 
expeditions  which  would  take  place  in  the  summer. 

Last  came  Thor's  only  offering  —  the  serf-woman, 
Trude,  was  brought  forward.  A  pair  of  serfs  dragged 
her  to  the  wall,  where  two  assistants  received  her  and 
stripped  her  rags  from  her  body.  The  crowd  waited 
breathlessly.  But  not  a  groan  or  a  gasp  came  from 
the  serf-woman,  Trude.  She  was  dragged  by  her  hair 
before  the  Hammer-wielder,  lifted  up,  and  laid  with  the 
small  of  her  back  crosswise  over  the  sharp  edge  of  the 
stone  altar.  Then  Atle  Jarl  made  the  sign  of  the 
hammer  over  the  offering,  and  the  serfs  pressed  her 
down.  A  scream  of  unspeakable  terror  tore  through 
the  air,  and  died  away  in  a  blood-curdling  low,  quiver- 
ing wail.  With  broken  back  the  serf -woman,  Trude,  lay 
across  Thor's  sacrificial  stone. 

The  bowl  filled  to  the  brim  was  now  lifted  by  the 
assistants  and  set  on  its  mound  again.  Atle  Jarl  drew 
the  sacrificial  bracelet  off  his  arm,  rubbed  it  in  the 
blood,  and  drew  it  on  his  arm  again.  Then  he  took 
the  rod  and  began  sprinkling  the  steaming  blood  around. 
First  he  sprinkled  Odin,  then  Thor,  then  Frey,  and 
afterwards  each  of  the  gods.  Also  the  walls,  ceiling, 
and  floor  he  sprinkled  with  the  protective  sacrificial 
blood.  When  Atle  Jarl  had  finished  the  ceremonies 
within  the  partition-wall,  the  assistants  lifted  the  bowl, 
and,  sprinkling  the  blood  on  the  right  and  the  left,  he 
went  out  of  the  temple,  followed  by  the  assistants  bear- 
ing the  bowl.  When  it  had  been  emptied  of  the  last 
drop,  the  bowl  was  carried  back  and  set  in  its  place. 


90  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

But  the  sacrifices  were  not  yet  over.  Odin's  chariot 
was  now  drawn  out  of  the  temple,  and  two  splendid 
white  horses  were  yoked  to  it.  Then  a  serf  came  for- 
ward, chosen  for  his  stature  for  the  part,  and  was 
dressed  in  the  ox's  skin,  with  the  horns  and  hoofs  hang- 
ing down  and  the  tinkling  bells  attached  to  it. 

The  procession  to  Odin's  grove  was  arranged,  with 
Atle  Jarl  at  the  head  bearing  the  bloody  ax  over  his 
shoulder.  After  him  came  the  serf  with  the  ox-skin  and 
bells.  Then  came  Odin  in  his  car  drawn  by  white  horses 
and  surrounded  by  white-robed  assistants.  The  rear  of 
the  procession  was  brought  up  by  the  crowd.  Silently, 
the  creaking  of  the  car  and  the  tinkling  bells  being  the 
only  sounds  audible  in  the  bright  night,  the  procession 
went  forward  to  Odin's  grove.  There  were  waiting 
already  the  nine  serfs  and  the  criminals,  who,  by  being 
strung  up  as  sport  for  the  winds,  should  appease  the 
storm-god,  each  tied  to  his  death  tree. 

Odin's  car  was  driven  forward  to  an  open  space, 
surrounded  by  sharp  stones.  Only  the  priest  and  his 
consecrated  helpers  ventured  to  enter  the  ring  of  stones. 
When  Odin's  car  was  brought  to  the  place,  and  the 
crowd  had  arranged  themselves,  the  assistants  went,  two 
by  two,  to  the  waiting  victims.  One  fixed  the  cord  and 
made  sure  that  both  it  and  the  branch  were  strong,  the 
other  loosed  the  victim's  bonds.  One  of  the  serfs  wailed 
and  begged  for  his  life.  He  met  only  contemptuous 
glances,  and  was  kicked  and  thumped  by  the  assistants. 
As  he  would  not  be  quiet,  they  forced  a  stone  in  be- 
tween his  jaws. 

When  Atle  Jarl  saw  that  his  assistants  had  finished 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  91 

their  preparations  he  gave  a  sign.  At  the  same  instant 
the  victims  were  strung  up  all  together.  Just  before 
they  had  ceased  their  struggles  a  whistling  sound  came 
through  the  wood.  A  gust  of  wind  imparted  a  swinging 
motion  to  the  dangling  bodies.  A  thrill  of  satisfaction 
mingled  with  awe  went  through  the  hearts  of  those 
assembled.  Odin  had  accepted  the  offering.  Slowly 
the  procession  wound  its  way  back  from  Odin's  grove. 
When  they  reached  the  temple,  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
sacrificed  animals  had  already  been  carried  away  by 
serfs,  to  be  flayed  and  divided.  The  body  of  the  serf- 
woman,  Trude,  had  also  been  removed.  It  had  been 
sunk  in  the  holy  well  by  the  gable-end  of  the  temple. 
This  was  not  the  first  victim  it  had  swallowed. 

Odin  was  drawn  to  his  place  on  the  right  hand  of 
Thor.  Atle  Jarl  took  the  sacrificial  bracelet  off  his 
arm  and  laid  it  on  the  mound  by  the  side  of  the  bowl. 
This  concluded  the  first  part  of  the  sacrificial  feast  — 
the  slaughter  night.  The  people  went  to  their  tents 
and  crept  under  their  skins,  to  get  a  little  sleep.  The 
early  spring  day  was  already  dawning  in  the  east. 


XII 

Ingolf  and  Leif  went  silently  towards  the  tent.  In- 
golf  was  pleasantly  fatigued,  and  felt  cheerful.  He 
enjoyed  the  mental  relaxation  and  dreamy  sleepiness 
which  follows  when  an  inner  excitement  has  found  its 
natural  relief.  He  went  from  the  ceremony  confirmed 
in  his  faith  with  strengthened  will.  He  felt  himself  in 
covenant  relation  with  his  ferocious  gods. 


92  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

With  Leif  the  case  was  opposite.  He  had  been 
sickened  by  the  sight  and  smell  of  the  blood  of  the 
sacrificed  animals.  All  the  rest,  and  especially  Ingolf's 
behaviour,  had  had  a  repelling  effect  upon  him  who 
did  not  believe  in  the  gods,  nay,  who  had  a  profound 
contempt  for  these  ugly,  bedizened  images  of  wood. 
Ingolf's  thorough  absorption  in  the  ceremonies  had 
made  him  sick  at  heart.  Here  was  something  he  did 
not  understand.  How  could  Ingolf  quietly  watch  help- 
less men  being  ill-treated  and  murdered  in  honour  of  the 
gods?  How  could  he  worship  gods  whom  he  believed 
he  could  appease  by  hanging  serfs  and  criminals  in  their 
honour?  Leif  did  not  understand  it.  He  felt  himself 
suddenly  alone,  and  an  eager  longing  for  Helga  took 
possession  of  him.  There  was  something  about  Ingolf 
which  was  beyond  his  comprehension.  In  relation  to  the 
gods  there  would  always  be  something  to  divide  them. 
Hitherto  this  had  possessed  such  a  slight  significance 
for  Leif  that  he  had  not  given  the  matter  a  thought. 
Now  it  grew  suddenly,  assumed  a  shape,  and  was  not 
to  be  got  away  from.  Ingolf  must  certainly  not  become 
aware  how  great  a  difference  there  was  between  them  in 
this  respect.  For  if  he  did,  how  could  he  think  of 
entering  into  brotherhood  with  him? 

Leif's  emotion  seethed  and  fermented.  With  every 
step  his  inward  excitement  rose  higher.  To  speak  out 
to  Ingolf  would  never  do;  if  once  he  began  to  speak, 
wild  and  uncontrolled  words  would  stream  from  his 
tongue.  And  he  had  vowed  to  himself  never  to  let 
his  fiery  temperament  discharge  itself  in  evil  words 
over  Ingolf. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  93 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  excitement  in  his  mind 
gradually  became  uncontrollable.  And  now  they  were 
so  near  the  tents,  that  only  a  few  steps  more  would  rob 
him  of  the  opportunity  of  relieving  himself.  He  stop- 
ped, perplexed,  without  knowing  what  he  should  say  or 
do. 

"  Ingolf !  "  he  broke  out  suddenly,  as  if  in  bewilder- 
ment ;  his  voice  was  hoarse  and  unrecognizable.  Ingolf 
stopped,  surprised,  and  turned  towards  him.  In  an 
instant  they  were  confronting  each  other,  Ingolf  with  an 
astonished,  questioning  expression  in  his  eyes  and  face, 
Leif  quivering  in  every  limb  with  an  excitement  which 
bid  fair  to  derange  his  mind.  He  rushed  at  his  cousin, 
flung  his  arms  round  him  tightly,  and  hissed  from  be- 
tween his  clenched  teeth :  "  Look  out !  " 

Ingolf  did  not  understand  what  he  was  about,  and 
had  no  time  to  consider.  He  needed  all  his  presence  of 
mind  to  keep  on  his  legs,  for  Leif  attacked  him  with  all 
his  might,  and  his  strength  seemed  to  increase  with  his 
exertions.  Ingolf  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  this 
was  serious ;  he  had  to  defend  himself  or  fall.  Leif 
•  hissed  and  groaned  and  bellowed  like  a  maniac.  Ingolf 
thought  it  was  best  to  make  an  end  of  it,  and  passed 
gradually  over  to  the  offensive.  But  it  took  him  time, 
f_nd  he  needed  to  exert  all  his  strength  to  overcome  Leif. 
At  last  he  succeeded.  He  took  advantage  of  a  slip  on 
Leif's  part,  slowly  deprived  him  of  his  foothold  —  then 
came  the  decisive  moment  —  Leif  overbalanced  and  fell. 

Ingolf  remained  lying  on  the  top  of  him.  He  had  a 
good  grip,  and  held  him  fast.  Leif's  face  was  purple 
and  swollen,  and  he  foamed  at  the  mouth.  His  eyes 


94  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

were  bloodshot,  and  were  so  furious  that  Ingolf  suddenly 
felt  pity  for  him. 

"  Cousin,  be  reasonable  now,"  he  begged  persuasively. 
But  to  be  overcome  in  such  a  purely  physical  way  had 
been  too  much  for  Leif .  He  struggled  hopelessly  to  get 
one  arm  loose,  and  when  he  did  not  succeed  he  hissed 
with  suppressed  rage :  "  I  could  kill  you !  "  Ingolf  let 
him  go  at  once  and  sprang  up.  But  Leif  did  not  do 
the  same,  as  he  had  expected.  He  had  discharged  his 
emotions  now  and  had  given  up.  He  remained  lying 
with  his  eyes  closed,  while  the  shame  scorched  and  burnt 
in  his  soul. 

Ingolf  stood  for  a  little  while  looking  at  him.  He 
felt  the  wrath  lurking  in  ambush  within  himself,  and 
bravely  fought  with  it.  "  What  have  I  done  ?  "  he  asked 
at  last  quietly. 

Leif  did  not  answer,  but  remained  lying  there,  quiet 
and  motionless,  with  closed  eyes.  Within  himself  he 
was  silently  and  hopelessly  wondering  how  he  should  set 
about  opening  his  eyes  and  rising.  Ingolf  stood  look- 
ing at  him.  He  began  gradually  to  understand  him, 
and  to  enter  into  his  feelings.  Leif  had  madly  set  him- 
self against  the  gods.  But  what  was  the  use  of  so 
attacking  him,  he  would  like  to  know?  Well,  Leif  had 
his  peculiarities  in  everything.  Now  he  lay  there  and 
was  ashamed,  and  could  not  bring  himself  to  open  his 
eyes.  The  best  thing  was  to  give  him  a  little  time  to 
collect  himself.  Ingolf  remained  standing  awhile  and 
waited.  "  Come  now,  Leif !  "  he  urged,  in  a  friendly 
tone,  and  Leif  rose.  Slowly  he  collected  himself  and  got 
on  his  legs.  Ingolf  stood  and  looked  at  him  with  curi- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  95 

osity.  His  features  were  relaxed,  and  his  eyes  were 
dull  and  troubled. 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  you  ? "  asked  Ingolf 
earnestly,  and  could  not  suppress  a  little  laugh. 

Leif  stood  a  short  while  without  answering,  as  though 
searching  his  memory  for  something  he  had  forgotten. 
"  You  needn't  trouble  yourself  about  it,"  he  answered 
In  a  weary  and  rather  shy  tone,  but  not  without  a 
certain  defiance.  "  It  was  not  you  I  hated,  but  your 
gods." 

"  So  it  was  not  very  strange  you  could  not  win, 
cousin,"  answered  Ingolf  cheerfully.  "  You  are  still  too 
slight  of  build  to  fight  with  the  gods." 

"  I  shall  not  go  with  you  to  a  feast  any  more,"  an- 
swered Leif,  unaffected  by  Ingolf 's  cheerfulness.  "  This 
once  I  may  be  allowed  to  say  it,  and  I  beg  you  not  to 
forget  it.  Your  gods  and  your  worship  of  them  are  an 
abomination  to  me,  and  will  always  be  so.  Even  if  it 
should  lose  me  my  brother,  I  must  say  it." 

There  was  a  smothered  warmth  in  Leif's  words  which 
made  Ingolf  serious. 

"  It  is  just  with  you,  as  you  are,  that  I  wish  to  enter 
into  brotherhood,  Leif,"  he  answered  quietly.  "  Your 
relation  to  the  gods  is  a  matter  between  you  and  them. 
What  you  think  of  my  worship  of  them  is  your  own 
affair.  But  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  understand 
that  I  belong  with  all  my  soul  and  will  to  the  gods. 
They  were  my  fathers'  gods ;  if  I  were  false  to  them,  I 
should  be  false  to  my  fathers.  Rather  would  I  this 
very  moment  sacrifice  myself  to  Odin  than  that  that 
should  happen." 


96  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  But  then  it  is  a  sacrifice  on  your  part,"  answered 
Leif  quietly,  "  when  you  enter  into  brotherhood  with  me 
who  despise  the  gods,  and  so  have  been  false  to  my 
fathers." 

Ingolf  was  silent  for  a  while.  "  It  is  another  matter 
with  you  than  with  me,"  he  answered.  "  I  cannot  ex- 
plain it,  but  I  feel  that  it  is  quite  another  matter  with 
you.  I  should  become  weaker  by  not  believing  in  the 
gods ;  you  would  become  so  by  believing  in  them.  We 
are  so  different,  Leif.  And  I  wish  to  be  your  brother 
as  you  are." 

"  I  will  do  my  best  that  you  may  never  regret  that," 
answered  Leif  quietly. 

They  went  to  their  tents.  It  was  already  nearly  day- 
light. In  the  east  the  sky  was  faintly  red;  there  was 
only  a  short  time  to  the  sunrise.  Ingolf  and  Leif  did 
not  talk  any  more.  They  crept  silently  into  their 
sleeping-bags.  But  neither  of  them  could  close  an  eye. 
They  remained  lying  quiet  till  nearly  midday.  When 
the  sun  was  at  its  zenith  that  day,  their  brotherhood 
was  to  be  sealed. 

Leif  was  the  first  who  rose.  When  he  had  met  In- 
golfs  open  eyes,  he  said  in  a  low,  cheerful  tone :  "  Let 
us  run  to  the  stream." 

Ingolf  sprang  up.  "  Yes,  we  will."  They  ran  to  a 
place  outside  the  encampment,  where  they  were  in  the 
shelter  of  a  cliff,  and  where  they  had  been  accustomed 
to  wash  themselves  when,  as  small  boys,  they  visited 
their  friends  at  Gaulum.  Ingolf  dipped  his  head  in  the 
water,  rubbed  hard  with  both  hands,  and  snorted  cheer- 
fully. But  Leif  flung  away  every  stitch  of  clothing 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS  97 

and  lay  down  in  the  running  water.  When  Ingolf  saw 
it,  he  immediately  followed  his  example.  And  so  they  lay 
side  by  side  in  the  stream,  and  let  the  cold  running 
water  stream  over  their  bodies,  as  when  they  were  little 
boys. 

Leif  looked  at  the  sun.  "  We  shall  have  to  hurry." 
They  sat  for  a  little  while,  squeezed  the  water  out  of 
their  hair,  and  let  the  sun  and  the  wind  dry  their  skins. 
But  the  water  remained  in  drops  on  their  skins  and 
would  not  be  dried.  Then  they  took  their  shirts  and 
rubbed  each  other,  and  then  dressed  in  a  trice.  "  Let 
us  go  slowly  back,"  said  Leif,  when  they  had  their 
clothes  on,  and  Ingolf  had  to  look  closer  at  him,  for 
such  a  proposal  was  very  unlike  him.  Leif  answered 
his  questioning  look.  "  Otherwise  we  shall  be  so  breath- 
less, and  we  are  getting  too  big  now  to  run  like  chil- 
dren." 

When  they  came  up  from  the  little  valley  in  which  the 
stream  ran,  they  saw  that  the  people  were  already 
gathered,  and  hastened  their  steps.  Leif  looked  up 
hastily  at  the  sun.  "  It  is  not  yet  quite  midday,"  he 
said,  relieved,  but  went  on. 

They  arrived  at  the  place  at  the  same  time  as  Atle 
Jarl,  who  as  high  priest  was  to  conduct  the  proceedings. 
Atle  Jarl,  generally  a  mild  and  amiable  man,  wore  his 
severest  expression  that  day.  He  had  the  sacrificial 
bracelet  on  his  arm  and  a  spear  in  his  hand.  A  serf 
followed  him  bearing  two  turf-cutters  and  two  bright, 
sharp-pointed  knives.  The  people  had  gathered  round 
a  circular  space,  marked  out  with  wooden  pegs.  They 
readily  made  way  for  the  two  cousins  and  Atle  Jarl. 


98  THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

When  they  reached  the  place  marked  out,  Atle  Jarl 
curtly  bade  the  two  future  brothers  take  off  their  shoes 
and  stockings  and  step  into  the  ring.  While  they  were 
doing  so,  he  himself  stepped  into  the  ring,  and  with  his 
spear  marked  off  a  semicircle  within  it.  Then  Ingolf 
and  Leif  each  received  his  turf-cutter  with  orders  to 
begin,  each  on  his  own  side  of  the  semicircle,  and  cut  a 
turf  loose,  taking  care,  however,  that  both  its  ends  re- 
mained firm.  The  turf  that  was  to  be  cut  loose  was  to 
remain  a  living  part  of  the  ground.  Ingolf  was  set  to 
cut  on  the  outside  of  the  semicircle,  Leif  on  the  inside. 
They  each  dropped  on  one  knee,  stuck  their  turf-cutters 
into  the  ground,  and  began  to  cut.  Their  task  was  to 
cut  a  solid  piece  of  turf  which  would  hold  fast  when  it 
was  raised.  Ingolf  cut  with  an  even,  straight  stroke; 
he  was  quiet  and  undisturbed  by  the  people  standing 
and  looking  at  him.  Leif,  on  the  other  hand,  was  nerv- 
ous. He  began  cutting  with  all  his  might ;  his  edge  be- 
came bent  and  uneven,  and  sweat  was  pouring  from  him 
before  he  had  got  half  through.  When  the  spectators 
saw  their  different  ways  of  working,  they  smiled  and 
winked  at  each  other. 

Orn  and  Rodmar  stood  just  outside  the  ring.  Orn 
did  not  look  happy,  but  he  concealed  his  displeasure 
under  a  mask  of  indifference.  Rodmar  stood  and  looked 
angrily  at  Leif.  He  could  hardly  restrain  himself  from 
shouting  to  him  and  correcting  him.  He  saw,  however, 
clearly  that  it  would  only  make  bad  worse,  and  con- 
trolled himself.  But  he  leant  towards  Orn  and  whis- 
pered as  though  making  an  excuse.  "  Ingolf  will  need 
all  his  quiet  and  strength  before  he  can  get  Leif  tamed." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS  99 

"  He  cannot  be  tamed,"  answered  Orn  in  a  low  tone, 
but  with  emphasis  in  his  voice.  "A  horse  with  the 
staggers  cannot  be  broken  in ;  it  is  a  useless  animal,  and 
brings  ill-luck." 

"  He  is  my  son,"  answered  Rodmar,  who  always  found 
fault  with  Leif  but  could  not  bear  others  doing  so. 
"  You  judge  him  too  severely." 

"  He  is  your  son  and  my  kinsman,"  Orn  whispered 
back  sombrely,  "  otherwise  this  ratification  of  brother- 
hood would  not  have  taken  place  —  at  least  as  long  as 
I  had  a  breath  left  in  my  body." 

Ingolf  and  Leif  had  now  cut  loose  the  piece  of  turf, 
and  went  together  to  lift  it.  They  raised  it  carefully 
till  it  stood  straight  up  and  formed  an  arch.  Then  Atle 
Jarl  stepped  in  and  placed  his  spear  in  the  middle  of  the 
arch  to  hold  the  turf  up.  He  himself  stood  and  sup- 
ported the  spear  while  Ingolf  and  Leif  cut  loose  an  ob- 
long turf  under  the  arch.  Their  blood  was  not  to  run 
on  the  greensward,  but  was  to  mingle  on  the  bare  earth. 
When  they  had  finished  they  gave  up  their  turf-cutters, 
and  at  Atle  Jarl's  command  stepped  in  under  the  turf 
arch,  each  on  his  own  side  of  the  spear-shaft.  Atle 
Jarl  now  ditcated  the  oath,  and  they  vowed  mutual 
brotherhood,  each  with  his  right  hand  on  the  sacred 
bracelet.  When  the  oath  had  been  taken,  serfs  came 
with  knives.  Atle  Jarl  received  the  knives  and  handed 
them  to  the  newly-sworn  brothers,  with  the  command  to 
confirm  the  brotherhood  they  had  just  inaugurated  by 
letting  their  blood  flow  jointly  on  the  sacred  earth. 
Atle  Jarl  showed  them  briefly  where  they  should  pierce 
their  calves  with  the  knives. 


ioo         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Ingolf  and  Leif  both  did  so  at  the  same  moment. 
Ingolf  thrust  his  knife-point  well  in  and  cut  a  deep 
gash.  Leif  put  his  knife  right  through  so  that  the 
point  projected  a  couple  of  inches  on  the  other  side  of 
his  calf.  He  had  difficulty  in  drawing  it  out  again. 
The  blood  ran  down  in  red  streams.  The  spectators 
felt  a  strange  shuddering  thrill  at  seeing  how  it  oozed 
out  from  under  the  naked  soles  of  their  feet.  Leif 
watched  the  course  of  his  blood  attentively  as  it  ap- 
proached Ingolf's  on  the  brown  scar  of  earth  between 
them.  As  it  seemed  to  him  to  go  too  slowly,  he  stooped 
down,  directed  the  streams  of  blood  with  the  point  of  his 
knife,  and  stirred  the  blood  and  earth  round  between 
him  and  Ingolf.  A  laugh  then  rang  out  in  the  air  from 
hundreds  of  throats.  Even  Orn  smiled,  though  against 
his  will,  and  Atle  Jarl's  eyes  assumed  a  milder  expres- 
sion. 

Leif  looked  hastily  up  and  straightened  himself  with  a 
jerk.  He  looked  round,  a  little  astonished,  and  his  eyes 
rested  on  Ingolf.  A  very  pleasant  smile  lay  on  Ingolf's 
face,  and  there  was  a  moist  glimmer  in  his  eyes. 

Atle  Jarl  now  proclaimed  that  Ingolf  Arnarson  and 
Leif  Rodmarsson  had  entered  into  legal  brotherhood, 
and  named  the  witnesses.  With  that  the  solemn  cere- 
mony was  at  an  end.  The  grass-turfs  were  carefully 
laid  down  again  in  order  that  they  might  grow  firm  and 
be  incorporated  with  the  earth's  life. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  were  now  joined  together  by  the 
strongest  bonds  that  exist  —  the  blood-tie  between 
brothers,  the  most  sacred  and  inviolable  of  all  blood 
and  family  ties.  The  earth  by  which  they  had  been 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          101 

formed  in  different  mothers'  wombs  had  now  drunk 
their  blood  mingled,  and  had  at  the  same  time  given 
them  new  birth,  since  they  had  passed  together  under 
the  turf  arch,  a  part  of  earth's  living  frame.  The 
earth  knew  now,  and  had  recognized  their  covenant  — 
a  covenant  no  power  could  break.  The  sons  of  Atle 
were  the  first  who  approached  to  tender  their  good 
wishes  on  the  occasion. 

Haasten  pressed  Ingolf's  hand  and  whispered  con- 
fidentially :  "  You  have  in  Leif  made  a  brother  who  at 
any  time  and  without  hesitation  will  give  his  blood  for 
you  to  the  last  drop.  Keep  always  a  watchful  eye  on 
him,  for  his  mind  is  as  easily  moved  as  a  willow,  but  it 
has  also  the  willow's  toughness." 

Holmsten  handed  over  to  Leif  a  broad-bladed,  long- 
shafted  battle-ax  with  a  handle  inlaid  with  gold,  a 
splendid  weapon,  which  made  Leif  colour  with  joy. 
"  Here  is  an  ax  for  you,  friend  Leif,"  he  said  cheer- 
fully. "  Swing  it  bravely,  but  take  care  that  you  do 
not  absent-mindedly  come  to  cleave  your  friends'  heads 
with  it !  " 

Leif  was  moved  to  tears.  He  kissed  Holmsten  for  the 
ax.  Leif  and  Holmsten's  friendship  lasted  for  whole 
days,  to  the  great  joy  and  relief  of  Ingolf  and  Haasten. 
They  had  never  before  been  able  to  keep  the  peace  for 
even  a  few  hours  at  a  time.  Ingolf  began  to  believe  that 
the  costly  gifts  which  had  been  exchanged  between 
Holmsten  and  Leif  must  have  some  special  significance. 
He  felt  unusually  cheerful  in  spirits  that  day.  Leif  also 
felt  a  peace  and  sense  of  security  which  was  strange  to 
him.  It  was  as  though  the  responsibility  which  he  had 


102         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

assumed  in  entering  into  brotherhood  evoked  his  man- 
hood. He  seemed  to  have  suddenly  grown  adult.  His 
mind  had  found  an  equilibrium,  which  acted  beneficially, 
and  was  plainly  traceable  in  his  bearing. 

Evening  came,  and  the  second  night  of  the  sacrificial 
feast  was  about  to  commence.  As  people  began  to  go  to 
the  temple,  Leif  said  to  Ingolf :  "  I  shall  not  go.  I 
shall  remain  at  home  in  the  tent." 

"  Very  well,  I  won't  go  either,"  said  Ingolf,  and  tried 
to  appear  as  though  it  were  a  matter  of  indifference  to 
him. 

But  Leif  would  not  hear  of  that.  "  Those  who  know 
me  will  not  be  surprised  that  I  remain  away,"  he  said. 
"  It  is  another  matter  with  you.  If  you  won't  go  alone, 
you  will  oblige  me  to  go  with  you,  and  I  don't  much  like 
going  there." 

At  last  Ingolf  went  alone.  When  he  entered  the 
temple  the  people  were  already  assembled  with  great 
jubilation  and  much  noise.  On  the  floor  there  was 
burning  a  fire  from  one  end  of  the  temple  to  the  other 
outside  the  partition-wall.  This  fire,  named  Langildene 
("  the  long  fires  "),  could  be  crossed  at  various  points, 
though  only  by  going  through  the  lambent  flames. 
Over  it  hung  great  cauldrons,  whence  the  fumes  of  the 
meat  of  the  sacrifices  filled  the  air  with  vapour  and  smoke 
tempting  to  hungry  stomachs. 

Tables  and  benches  were  arranged  on  both  sides  of  the 
fire.  It  was  some  time  before  each  man  had  his  horn. 
Then  Atle  Jarl  rose,  consecrated  the  drinking,  and 
proposed  the  toast  in  honour  of  Odin.  It  was  a  toast 
for  Victory  and  Might,  and  everyone  had  to  empty  his 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         103 

horn  to  the  bottom.  Some  made  the  sign  of  the  hammer 
over  the  horn  of  mead.  They  were  those  who  trusted 
in  their  own  power  and  might.  They  consecrated  their 
drinking  to  Thor.  Now  other  serfs  entered,  bearing 
great  dishes.  They  fished  the  meat  out  of  the  cauldrons 
with  hooks,  filled  the  dishes,  and  bore  them  round. 
Then  began  a  festive  battle  for  the  best  morsels,  with 
shouting  and  laughter  which  shook  the  temple. 

Women  now  entered,  lifted  the  gods  down  from  their 
platforms,  took  off  their  dresses,  and  began  to  rub  them 
with  the  fat  of  the  sacrificial  animals.  This  was  a  very 
solemn  ceremony. 

When  the  guests  had  appeased  their  first  hunger,  full 
horns  stood  again  before  them.  Atle  Jarl  blessed  the 
drinking,  and  they  all  emptied  their  horns  in  honour  of 
Thor.  Then  they  ate  again,  but  now  quietly  and  de- 
liberately. The  dishes  were  emptied  and  filled  anew. 
There  was  no  scarcity  of  food  or  of  beer. 

They  drank  horns  to  Njord  and  to  Frey  for  peace 
and  fertility.  They  drank  a  horn  to  Brage,  with  which 
they  pledged  solemn  vows.  Last  of  all,  Atle  Jarl  rose, 
always  steady  on  his  legs  and  firm  in  his  voice  (he  had 
tasted  mead  before),  blessed  the  drinking,  and  proposed 
a  toast  in  memory  of  their  deceased  kinsmen.  That 
toast  used  not  to  be  very  widely  observed  —  by  that 
time  many  lay  under  the  table.  Others  had  gone  out- 
side, and  the  rows  of  the  feasters  grew  thinner. 

When  Ingolf  had  gone  to  the  temple,  Leif's  newly 
found  mental  equilibrium  suddenly  forsook  him.  He 
was  overcome  by  a  feeling  of  disquiet,  strong  and  not  to 
be  shaken  off  —  a  fit  of  impatience  which  rankled  in  his 


104         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

breast,  and  made  him  perspire  and  feel  unwell.  Some- 
thing must  be  done,  he  knew  not  what,  until  it  suddenly 
became  clear  to  him  that  he  could  not  do  without  Helga 
any  longer.  He  ran  home  to  the  house  and  got  hold  of  a 
serf,  whom  he  sent  with  a  message  to  Ingolf.  Then 
he  took  a  bridle  in  his  hands  and  a  saddle  over  his 
shoulders  and  went  off  to  find  his  horse.  There  was  a 
strange  feverishness  in  all  his  proceedings,  but  he  was 
cheerful  and  light  of  heart,  as  was  always  the  case  when 
he  had  overcome  uncertainty  and  betaken  himself  to 
action.  He  found  his  horse,  caught  and  saddled  it, 
and  went  straight  homewards  at  full  gallop.  He  dared 
not  think  at  all,  for  it  was  plain  to  him  that  it  would 
be  too  long  before  he  could  see  Helga,  and  the  thought 
made  his  heart  sick.  A  feeling  of  longing  was  on  him, 
a  longing  of  the  strong  kind,  which  grows  in  force  if 
one  gives  way  to  it.  His  rapid  riding  gave  him  relief, 
and  released  him  from  thinking.  He  entered  into  a 
strange  relation  with  the  paths  he  rode  by,  and  every 
stone  and  bush  which  he  passed  on  the  way.  A  pasture 
which  he  went  by  reminded  him  of  the  horse,  and  he 
dismounted,  took  off  the  saddle  and  bridle,  and  lay 
down.  The  horse  rolled  on  its  back  awhile,  then  rose 
and  began  grazing  eagerly.  This  haste  seemed  to  quiet 
Leif's  longing,  and  he  lay  comfortably  there.  He  al- 
lowed the  horse  to  still  its  sharpest  pangs  of  hunger,  but 
soon  his  patience  was  over,  exhausted  and  vanished. 
He  saddled  the  horse  again  and  went  off  at  full  gallop. 
Daylight  came,  and  he  was  forced  to  stop  and  let  the 
horse  breathe  and  graze  a  little.  This  time  Leif  could 
not  lie  still,  while  it  was  grazing.  He  sat  a  little,  walked 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         105 

a  little,  and  was  restless.  Long  before  the  proper 
time  he  saddled  the  horse  again,  but  before  mounting 
this  time  he  patted  its  neck  and  head,  scratched  it  be- 
hind the  ear,  and  spoke  kindly  to  it :  "  If  you  hold  out, 
I  will  remember  you  as  long  as  we  both  live ! " 

So  it  carried  him  forward  again,  over  hill  and  dale, 
over  smooth,  grassy  plains  and  stony  tracts,  over  clear 
streams  and  roaring  rivers.  The  horse's  clattering 
hoofs  awoke  in  the  air  alternately  falling  and  rising 
echoes.  So  the  incredible  was  accomplished,  and  the 
length  of  the  way  slowly  overcome.  One  morning  at 
sunrise  Leif  arrived  home.  Helga  stood  outside  the 
house  as  though  she  had  expected  him,  and  the  world 
seemed  new. 

"  It  is  you,  Leif,"  said  Helga,  and  did  not  conceal  her 
gladness.  Leif  had  already  sprung  from  his  horse.  He 
ran  to  her  and  flung  his  arms  around  her.  "  Helga," 
he  said,  and  kissed  her.  "  I  had  to  come  home  all  at 
once."  Helga  laughed. 

"  I  dreamt  of  you  last  night,"  she  said,  and  kissed 
him.  "  That  was  what  I  dreamt." 

"What?"  asked  Leif. 

"  That  I  kissed  you." 

And  she  kissed  him  again.     That  was  a  happy  day. 


BOOK   II 


YEARS  passed  and  nothing  happened.  There  was 
much  talk  of  disturbance  and  disquiet  in  the 
north  of  the  country.  The  young  King  Harald  and  his 
uncle,  Guttorm,  were  continually  engaged  in  warfare. 
Various  raisers  of  disturbance  had  already  been  sup- 
pressed, but  new  ones  were  continually  starting  up. 
The  latest  rumour  current  was,  that  the  young  King 
purposed,  as  soon  as  he  had  given  peace  to  his  King- 
dom, to  extend  it.  It  did  not  look  as  if  he  had  peace- 
ful intentions.  Dalsfjord  as  yet  was  ravaged  only  by 
rumours.  No  events  themselves,  only  the  faint  thunders 
they  aroused,  came  near  there. 

Orn,  however,  was  always  of  opinion  that  it  was  safest 
for  Rodmar  to  remain;  especially  as  Leif  had  now 
undertaken  the  management  of  the  property,  and  Rod- 
mar  might  as  well  remain  in  one  place  as  another. 

Much  beer  was  brewed  in  Orn's  house.  Perhaps  it 
was  not  without  some  connection  with  this  that  Orn  and 
Rodmar's  talk  took  all  the  more  a  prophetic  tinge. 
Obscure  and  rather  disconnected  wisdom  flowed  liberally 
from  their  lips.  Leif  called  this  wise  talk  nonsense,  and 
was  not  ashamed  to  laugh  openly  in  his  father's  face 
when  he  was  more  wise  and  obscure  than  ever.  Ingolf, 
on  the  other  hand,  although  with  some  difficulty,  con- 
tinued to  invest  Orn  with  a  halo  of  dignity,  and  showed 
109 


no         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

him  all  possible  filial  reverence.  He  always  consulted 
him  in  important  questions,  although  certainly  only 
for  form's  sake.  And  he  never  brought  forward  a 
matter  without  having  first  procured  permission  to 
speak.  This  pleased  Orn  in  a  high  degree,  although 
he  sometimes  felt  somewhat  embarrassed  by  it,  and  al- 
most always  showed  peevishness  to  his  son. 

Orn  was  by  no  means  easy  to  deal  with.  For  ex- 
ample, Ingolf,  at  the  beginning  of  the  spring  when  he 
completed  his  nineteen  winters,  went  to  him  to  hear  his 
opinion  regarding  the  sowing  plans  he  had  made  for 
the  summer,  and  also  about  a  necessary  enlargement 
of  the  salt-kilns.  Orn  looked  up  at  him  with  a  scornful 
and  malicious  look  in  his  drink-swollen  eyes,  heard  fully 
all  he  had  to  say,  and  at  last  broke  out  harshly  on  him. 
"  You  are  only  a  peasant !  A  good-for-nothing  you 
are,  although  you  are  tall  and  heavy  enough !  You 
wear  the  family  bracelet !  What  honour  have  I  from 
you?  There  is  no  energy  in  you.  Do  you  think  one 
finds  honour  in  the  fields?  Do  you  think  one  can 
plough  it  out  of  the  ground?  Food  you  find,  but  never 
any  honour.  Do  you  think  a  man  keeps  fresh  by  burn-  ) 
/  ing  salt  all  his  life?  Keep  away  from  me  with  your 
\  salt-burning  and  your  sowing-plans.  Would  any  one 
believe  you  were  a  free  man's  son,  and  soon  full  grown  ? 
Speak  with  the  serfs  about  it.  No  —  Harald,  Halv- 
dan  the  Black's  son  —  there  is  a  fellow  with  some  stuff 
in  him !  You'll  feel  his  knuckles  one  day  —  wait  and 
see !  He'll  mark  you  all  with  the  brand  of  slavery  — 
every  man  of  you.  Each  and  all  of  you  will  have  to 
pay  tribute  to  him,  if  you  do  not  want  to  be  shorter 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         in 

by  a  head  or  to  have  your  necks  stretched!  It  is  said 
that  he  intends  to  subdue  all  Norway  and  to  become 
sole  King.  How  old  are  you  now?  Nineteen  winters? 
He  is  four  years  younger !  You  are  no  King  —  no ! 
You  are  right  in  that.  But  your  forefathers  were 
chiefs,  and  ruled  themselves,  and  ruled  others  as  the 
King's  peers.  Go  off  to  your  fields  and  your  salt- 
burning  —  I  won't  listen  to  you  any  more.  I  won't 
see  you!  Go!  Ha!  Wait  a  little.  Go  first  to  the 
smith,  and  have  your  fathers'  weapons  smelted  down 
into  meat-axes!  Have  you  not  increased  your  stock? 
Are  you  not  in  want  of  meat-axes !  No,  it  was  some- 
thing different  in  my  youth.  If  I  had  been  in  my 
prime  now,  the  good  Harald  would  have  found  at  least 
one  neck  he  could  not  break.  Unless,  indeed,  I  had 
deemed  it  wisest  to  assist  him.  That  also  might  be  a 
way  to  honour.  But  you  have  only  thoughts  for  your 
fields  and  your  salt-burning.  Go  !  " 

Thus  Orn  spoke,  and  was  very  irritable.  Ingolf 
listened  to  him  patiently  without  moving  a  muscle. 
And  when  he  received  the  command  to  go  he  retired  with 
a  respectful  salute.  He  honoured  the  family  in  his 
father,  and  did  not  wear  the  family  bracelet  in  vain 
on  his  young  arm.  Ingolf  looked  after  his  property; 
Leif  neglected  his.  For  the  first  two  years  Leif  had 
managed  remarkably  well  alone.  But  when  it  no  longer 
amused  him  to  rule  and  give  orders  to  the  house-ser- 
vants, he  began  to  become  somewhat  careless.  It  was 
to  his  advantage  that  his  people  were  reliable  and 
fond  of  him  —  remarkably  so,  in  fact.  He  might  scold 
them  thoroughly,  using  the  whole  of  his  copious  vocabu- 


H2         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

lary  until  his  voice  failed  him.  He  might  beat  them 
and  abuse  them,  and  bid  them  ten  thousand  times  to 
go  the  straight  way  north  or  down  to  hell.  They 
admired  his  readiness  of  speech  and  energetic  irrita- 
bility. It  was  always  enlivening  to  see  him  in  a  rage. 
And  it  was  characteristic  of  him  that  his  wrath  was 
forgotten  as  soon  as  it  had  blazed  up.  It  flashed  up 
like  a  fire  of  pine-needles  and  burnt  out  at  once.  Be- 
sides, he  was  not  small-minded,  and  let  every  one  manage 
his  own  affairs,  so  long  as  he  minded  his  work.  He 
was  a  kind  and  cheerful  master  to  serve  under.  Many 
plants  grew  in  his  track,  but  never  the  plant  of  dull- 
ness. 

Ingolf  had  another  way  with  his  people.  He  imme- 
diately became  a  father  and  providence  for  them.  He 
was  considerate  towards  the  old,  and  let  them  have 
an  easy  time.  They  were  never  weary  of  blessing  him. 
He  visited  them  often,  and  his  visit  was  always  like 
a  gift.  He  showed  an  equable  temper  with  his  people, 
demanded  a  certain  amount  of  work  from  them,  and 
expressed  in  encouraging  words  his  satisfaction  with 
work  well  done.  On  the  other  hand,  no  one  had  ever 
heard  a  threat  from  his  mouth.  He  had  his  own  way 
of  showing  displeasure  by  a  certain  indifferent  silence 
which  did  not  fail  of  its  effect.  No  one  liked  to  feel 
himself  the  object  of  that  quiet  taciturnity.  His  peace- 
ful manner  diffused  a  peculiar  sense  of  security  around 
him.  He  was  careful  in  his  choice  when  he  engaged 
new  people,  which  rarely  happened.  Those  whom  he 
had  once  engaged  remained  with  him. 

Leif  could  not  alter  his  nature;  he  was  just  Leif, 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS         113 

once  and  for  all.  When  he  had  managed  his  property 
with  diligence  and  watchfulness  for  three  years  it 
amused  him  no  longer.  He  began  to  slacken,  and  let 
things  go  at  haphazard.  And  since  they  did  not  seem 
to  go  altogether  badly  that  way,  he  gradually  pre- 
ferred not  to  look  after  them  at  all.  So  Ingolf  found 
him  going  idle  for  whole  months  at  a  time.  Ingolf 
wondered  at  him.  How  could  he  choose  to  go  on  and 
undertake  nothing?  No,  that  was  going  too  far.  In- 
golf secretly  kept  an  eye  on  Leif's  property,  and  saw 
that  it  was  managed  in  some  way  without  him,  although 
not  thoroughly.  So  there  was  all  the  less  reason  for 
him  to  interfere  in  Leif's  way  of  living.  There  re- 
sulted a  good  deal  of  restraint  between  the  two  sworn 
brothers  which  was  unavoidable.  Ingolf  tried  his  best 
not  to  let  himself  be  irritated  by  Leif's  idle  ways.  He 
exerted  himself  to  meet  him  as  unconstrainedly  as  before. 
But  his  openness  was  not  natural  as  it  used  to  be,  and 
seemed  forced.  Leif  noticed  it  without  thinking  about 
it,  and  the  feeling  of  restraint  between  them  continued. 

Only  seldom  did  Leif  follow  Ingolf  to  the  fields  or  to 
other  business.  Their  unconscious  inner  tension  robbed 
their  intercourse  of  all  outer  comfort  or  heartiness. 
The  sense  of  brotherhood  and  family  feeling  between 
them  decreased  greatly,  and  threatened  to  vanish. 

Ingolf  betook  himself  to  work  as  a  defence.  He 
wrapped  himself  in  business  as  in  a  coat  of  mail,  and 
work  shielded  him  to  a  certain  extent.  But  the  un- 
avoidable vacant  hours  were  like  rents  in  his  armour. 
And  the  weapons  Ingolf  had  to  fight  against  imme- 
diately found  every  exposed  place. 


H4         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

Leif  was  not  the  man  to  notice  that  something  had 
happened  when  nothing  had  really  done  so.  He  only 
felt  boredom  and  emptiness,  and  the  difficulty  there  is 
in  making  time  pass  when  like  a  refractory  horse  it 
begins  rearing  on  its  hind-legs.  Either  he  sat  alone 
with  Helga  and  let  the  hours  fly,  or  he  simply  lay 
and  lazed  somewhere,  staring  into  space  and  wonder- 
ing what  purpose  there  can  be  in  a  useless  day.  His 
mind  became  every  day  more  unbalanced,  and  his 
temper  was  like  a  sportive  squirrel.  Sometimes  his 
restlessness  and  impatience  impelled  him  to  tease  and 
vex  those  who  surrounded  him.  Not  even  Helga  es- 
caped; on  the  contrary,  just  because  she  was  the  most 
helpless  before  him,  it  was  she  who  suffered  most.  Not 
rarely  his  words  made  her  cry.  Afterwards  he  sat 
silent  and  helpless,  unable  to  repair  what  he  had  done, 
and  feeling  intolerable  pain. 

Leif  s  only  excuse  was  that  he  was  Leif  and  had  lost 
his  balance.  The  hopeless  melancholy  of  youth  was 
upon  him. 

Years  passed  and  nothing  happened.  Hitherto  each 
year  had  had  one  event.  They  visited  Gaulum,  or 
Atle's  sons  visited  them.  One  winter  Leif  and  Ingolf 
were  invited  to  the  feast  at  Gaulum;  the  next  winter 
they  were  the  hosts.  Hitherto  in  Leif's  mind  there  had 
been  a  halo  about  these  feasts;  he  had  awaited  them 
with  eagerness  and  taken  part  in  them  with  a  happy 
fervour  of  abandonment.  Now  he  hardly  cared  to 
think  of  them  any  more,  and  had  quite  ceased  to  take 
pleasure  in  them. 

For  there  had  gradually   risen  in  Leif's  mind,   al- 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         115 

though  he  carefully  concealed  it,  a  strong  ill-will  against 
Atle's  sons,  especially  Holmsten.  Holmsten  had  al- 
ways been  a  thorn  in  his  side.  Holmsten's  voice  and 
vocabulary,  his  smile,  his  way  of  being  silent,  and  his 
whole  character  had  an  irritating  effect  on  Leif.  At 
times,  when  he  was  not  especially  sensitive,  he  could,  as 
it  were,  lock  such  feelings  out.  But  there  were  other 
times  when  he  stood  and  actually  shivered  with  irrita- 
tion merely  at  seeing  and  hearing  Holmsten.  But, 
faithful  to  his  oath  of  brotherhood  and  promise  to  In- 
golf,  he  suppressed  all  feelings  of  that  kind  as  best  he 
could.  In  any  case,  they  never  broke  out.  Thus  it 
happened  that  Holmsten  once  in  a  humourous  mood 
made  merry  over  Leif's  appearance.  He  meant  noth- 
ing serious  by  it,  but  an  innocent  remark  about  Leif's 
large  nose  slipped  thoughtlessly  out  of  his  mouth. 
When  he  saw  what  effect  it  had  upon  Leif,  who  became 
quite  red  in  the  face,  he  was  immediately  sorry,  and 
said  nothing.  When  Leif  had  thus  come  to  know  what 
he  looked  like,  his  eyes  were  suddenly  opened  to  see 
how  handsome  Atle's  sons  were.  From  that  day  it  was 
that  he  began  to  hate  them  in  his  heart,  especially  the 
youngest.  He  now  noticed  also  how  they  looked  at 
Helga,  when  they  were  on  a  visit.  He  did  not  like  those 
looks.  Of  course  he  could  well  understand  that  they 
could  scarcely  keep  their  eyes  from  Helga.  But  Helga 
was  his,  and  that  made  a  difference.  And  although 
Atle's  sons  could  not  know  that,  yet  at  any  rate  they 
ought  not  to  look  at  Helga  so.  It  was  especially 
Holmsten  with  whom  Leif  found  himself  angry  — 
Holmsten,  whose  existence  from  the  time  that  Leif  was 


n6         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

a  boy  had  rankled  like  a  thorn  in  his  mind.  Holmsten 
was  undeniably  the  handsomest  of  the  brothers,  per- 
haps because  he,  as  the  youngest,  was  now  at  the 
handsomest  age.  Moreover,  it  was  Holmsten  whose 
look  fastened  on  Helga  with  the  greatest  pertinac- 
ity. 

Leif  was  pained,  and  suffered.  The  most  intolerable 
part  about  it  almost  was  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  let  Helga  notice  his  jealousy.  She  did  not  give  the 
slightest  occasion  for  it,  but  that  did  not  comfort  Leif 
at  all  —  on  the  contrary.  This  made  Leif's  behaviour 
towards  her  rough  and  unintelligible.  She  was  almost 
obliged  to  believe  that  he  was  no  longer  as  fond  of  her  as 
he  had  been,  since  he  at  times  could  do  without  her.  It 
was  only  the  pain  in  his  look,  even  when  he  behaved  in 
the  most  capricious  way,  which  quieted  her  doubts.  Yet 
she  went  about  sometimes  with  such  pensive  eyes. 
There  sat  Leif,  with  a  feeling  of  emptiness  like  a  man 
who  must  see  the  most  precious  thing  he  possesses  slip 
out  of  his  hand,  and  cannot  move  a  finger.  Leif  could 
at  times  become  so  anxious  about  Helga  that  all  glad- 
ness and  pleasure  in  life  forsook  him.  Often  she  looked 
at  him  with  a  questioning  and  troubled  look,  and  shut 
herself  within  herself. 

The  summer  after  Leif  had  completed  seventeen  and 
Ingolf  nineteen  winters,  Atle's  sons  for  the  first  time 
went  on  a  Viking  expedition.  That  summer  was  the 
worst  Leif  had  ever  experienced.  The  want  of  occupa- 
tion, and  the  complete  absence  of  all  events,  became 
doubly  intolerable  now  that  he  knew  that  other  young 
men,  who  were  not  much  more  than  his  own  equals  in 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         117 

age,  were  sailing  out  on  the  wide  ways  of  the  sea,  mak- 
ing the  acquaintance  of  foreign  people  and  lands, 
trafficking  or  fighting  with  those  whom  they  encountered 
wherever  they  went,  and,  in  any  case,  having  new  expe- 
riences every  day  and  every  hour  of  the  day.  These 
thoughts  were  so  painful  that  Leif  at  times  became 
quite  poorly  and  depressed  when  they  attacked  him. 

That  summer  there  arose  besides  in  his  distracted  and 
uneasy  mind  a  besetting  idea,  which,  when  it  had  once 
taken  root,  was  not  to  be  shaken  off.  Suppose  Holm- 
sten  should  be  killed  that  summer,  how  would  Helga 
receive  the  news  when  she  heard  it?  He  could  sit 
silent  and  watch  her  for  hours  at  a  time  in  order  to 
discover  an  answer  to  this  question.  Sometimes  he 
introduced  the  Viking  expedition  of  Atle's  sons  as  a 
topic  of  conversation  before  her.  She  did  not  seem 
specially  interested  in  it,  but  talked  willingly,  though 
without  great  interest,  about  it.  These  conversations 
gave  Leif  a  strong  impression  of  woman's  falsity! 

At  last  there  came  a  day  when  he  could  hold  out  no 
longer,  threw  away  all  shame,  and  went  to  Helga  and 
told  her  that  news  had  come  from  Atle's  sons  that 
Holmsten  had  fallen.  Helga  sat  for  a  while  pensive 
and  serious.  "  So  we  shall  never  see  him  more,"  she 
said,  with  a  slight  tremor  in  her  voice.  "  I  cannot 
really  imagine  Atle's  sons  without  thinking  of  them  all 
three  together  —  so  I  remember  them  the  first  time  I 
saw  them,  so  one  always  saw  them.  His  brothers  will 
be  very  grieved  at  losing  him." 

Leif  listened  breathlessly,  but  her  words  and  tone 
made  him  no  wiser.  "Was  it  Haersten  —  or  Haas- 


n8         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

ten?"  he  thought.  "I  should  have  told  her  that  all 
three  had  fallen." 

Utterly  discomfited  by  this  frustration  of  his  attempt 
at  surprise,  he  gave  it  up  altogether.  Now  he  was 
reckless.  "  That  is  not  true,"  he  confessed  wearily. 
"  There  has  come  no  news  from  Atle's  sons." 

Helga  became  quite  silent  from  surprise.  Her  aston- 
ished look  rested  almost  anxiously  upon  him.  "  How 
can  you  take  it  into  your  head  to  say  such  things  ?  " 

Leif  looked  maliciously  and  despairingly  at  her. 
"  It  is  still  too  early  to  weep  for  Holmsten,"  he  said 
coldly  and  scornfully.  Then  he  rose  suddenly  and  went. 
As  he  stepped  out  of  the  door,  a  burst  of  cheerful, 
rippling  laughter  broke  out  behind  him.  "  Why  does 
she  laugh?"  he  thought,  anxious  and  angry  at  the 
same  time,  but  did  not  turn  round  to  examine  her  face. 
The  rest  of  the  day  he  kept  puzzling  about  her  laugh. 
Did  she  laugh  because  it  was  not  true  that  Holmsten 
had  fallen,  or  did  she  only  laugh  at  him,  because  she 
had  discovered  that  he  was  jealous  of  Holmsten?  For 
the  rest  it  seemed  to  Leif  that  neither  was  a  laughing 
matter.  So  morbid  had  he  gradually  become  that  all 
laughter  seemed  to  him  suspicious  and  unbecoming.  It 
took  Helga  several  days  to  eradicate  the  effects  of  her 
laughter  from  Leif's  mind.  Even  kisses  and  embraces 
seemed  ineffectual.  He  suffered  from  his  peculiar  ob- 
stinate temper,  insisting  that  he  had  been  insulted,  but 
unable  to  overcome  it.  It  required  a  severe  effort  before 
he  could  bring  himself  to  repay  Helga's  gentleness  with 
the  same. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         119 

But  then  he  seemed  all  at  once  to  have  become  quite 
different.  It  seemed  as  though  the  exposure  he  had 
made  of  himself  had  cured  him.  He  felt  an  immense 
relief.  Now  he  had,  at  any  rate,  proof  that  Helga 
would  neither  become  white  as  snow,  nor  fall  dead,  even 
if  she  should  hear  that  Holmsten  had  fallen.  He  began 
gradually  to  surmise  that  his  jealousy  was  only  a  cob- 
web of  the  brain. 

Besides  this,  a  thought  had  taken  possession  of  him 
which  drove  all  spiteful  spectres  out  of  his  mind.  As 
early  as  the  next  summer  he  would  go  on  a  Viking 
expedition  himself.  He  would  not  remain  here  and 
become  prematurely  old  and  peevish.  It  was  true  that 
at  summer-time  he  would  still  be  two  years  short  of  the 
regular  Viking  age.  But  Ingolf  would  at  that  time  be 
of  the  right  age  and  could  get  his  going  legalized  — 
for  Ingolf  would  go  too,  as  a  matter  of  course.  They 
could  not  go  about  at  home  for  ever  and  become  moss- 
grown  without  and  mouldy  within. 

"  Look  at  the  old  men !  "  he  broke  out,  when  in  words 
that  stumbled  over  each  other  he  made  Helga  privy  to 
his   plan.     "  Must  one  not  be  sorry  for  them?     Yet 
they  have  been  young  once.     This  is  what  age  makes  of 
people.     It  is  better,  when  one  is  good  for  nothing  else  \ 
but  boasting,  to  have  something  to  boast  of,  than  for    / 
want  of  experiences  to  become  a  wretched  liar."  / 

"  Do  you  think  that  you  will  some  day  become  like  — 
like  your  father?  "  asked  Helga,  smiling.  She  thought 
Rodmar  was  worse  than  Orn. 

"  Without  doubt,"  answered  Leif  decidedly.     "  I  can 


120         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

certainly  not  realize  it.  But  why  should  I  become 
otherwise?  Must  they  not  have  once  been  young  and 
full  of  life?  Now  they  drivel!" 

Helga  sat  for  a  little  while  and  thought.  And  while 
she  thought,  her  expression  changed  and  became  pensive 
and  serious. 

"  You  are  so  imprudent,  Leif ,"  she  said,  with  anxious 
eyes,  "  I  fear  you  will  be  killed  in  your  first  battle." 

Leif  laughed  arrogantly.  "  Have  you  not  noticed 
that  I  am  invulnerable,"  he  outbroke,  with  a  beaming 
smile,  "  that  nothing  can  injure  me?  There  is  some- 
thing or  other  which  protects  me.  I  have  thought 
about  it.  It  can  only  be  your  love,  Helga.  What  else 
should  it  be?  " 

Helga  kissed  him.  She  had  tears  in  her  eyes.  "  If 
my  love  can  protect  you,  Leif,  you  are  invulnerable. 
My  own  friend,  do  whatever  you  will,  only  do  not  quite 
forget  me." 

Leif  hurried  from  the  place  to  meet  Ingolf.  And 
when  he  found  him  he  as  so  completely  the  old  Leif, 
with  body  and  soul  intent  upon  a  definite  object,  that, 
with  the  stream  of  his  talk  and  the  irresistible  absolute- 
ness of  his  manner,  he  swept  all  ill-humour  out  of  In- 
golf's  mind.  Now  that  Leif  had  become  quite  himself 
again,  Ingolf  needed  no  more  to  be  on  the  watch  regard- 
ing his  own  attitude  towards  him.  Ingolf  stood  quite 
quietly,  listened  to  him,  and  allowed  him  to  talk  freely, 
without  the  slightest  attempt  at  interruption.  He 
merely  stood  and  looked  at  him,  and  enjoyed  feeling 
how  his  eagerness  infected  his  own  mind  like  a  happy 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         121 

excitement.  Ingolf  felt  at  that  moment  a  gladness 
which  he  had  forgotten.  He  could  have  embraced  his 
brother. 

While  Leif  spoke  further  and  developed  his  plans, 
Ingolf  pondered.  He  only  followed  Leif's  stream  of 
talk  with  one  ear,  only  to  ensure  that  nothing  important 
escaped  him.  Meanwhile,  he  subjected  the  project  to 
independent  consideration.  Perhaps  it  was,  at  any 
rate,  over  early  to  join  in  a  Viking  expedition  just  now. 
Perhaps  they  ought  rather  to  wait  a  couple  of  years ; 
Leif  was  so  young,  and  was  still  not  of  the  warrior's  age. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  Leif  needed  a  change  just  now. 
And  he  was  quite  self-reliant,  though  not  of  the  proper 
age.  They  could  also  train  themselves  in  the  use  of 
weapons  in  the  winter.  If  they  waited,  Leif  would  again 
become  strange  and  not  to  be  understood  or  put  up 
with.  For  Leif's  sake  they  must  go.  How  completely 
he  was  again  the  old  Leif,  even  in  his  thoughts ! 

Ingolf  concluded  his  considerations  by  saying :  "  I 
will  talk  with  my  father  about  the  matter,"  in  the  middle 
of  Leif's  stream  of  words.  Then  Leif  became  uncon- 
trollable for  a  while.  He  seized  hold  of  Ingolf  and 
whirled  him  round.  He  knew  that  with  this  sentence 
the  matter  was  decided.  But  it  seemed  to  him  when, 
out  of  breath  he  let  his  laughing  brother  go,  that  he 
absolutely  must  say  something  about  Orn. 

"  The  old  blusterer !  "  he  snorted   contemptuously. 

"  To  think  that  we  should  guide  ourselves  by  his  opinion. 

Well,  do  as  you  like.     Only  forget  not  to  say  that  we 

shall  bring  wine  home  for  him  —  much  wine.     Then  you 


122         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

will  see  how  tractable  he  will  become.  I  will  promise 
my  father  the  same,  in  order  to  make  him  willing  to 
give  up  the  keys  of  the  weapon-chest." 

Ingolf  went  to  his  father,  put  the  matter  in  a  few 
words  before  him,  asked  him  for  ships  and  merchandize, 
and  first  and  foremost  for  his  consent  to  their  making 
an  expedition  the  next  summer. 

While  Ingolf  talked,  Orn  sat  with  a  dull  look  and  an 
unwilling  expression  in  his  face,  as  if  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  he  heard  him  to  the  end.  "  Ships  and  mer- 
chandize are  your  own,"  he  answered  peevishly,  when 
Ingolf  was  silent.  "  You  can  do  with  both  what  you 
will,  and  it  would  not  surprise  me  if  you  returned  home 
empty-handed.  Leif  will  still  prove  a  costly  brother  to 
you.  He  will  be  captured,  and  you  will  have  to  pay  the 
ransom.  Keep  a  good  watch  on  the  ships,  and  don't 
let  yourself  be  cheated  in  trafficking.  When  they  offer 
you  one  cask  of  wine  for  a  bear's  skin,  you  should  ask 
three,  then  you  will  get  two.  For  the  rest,  you  can  go 
anywhere  in  the  world  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  if  only 
you  do  not  disgrace  your  father.  Go !  No,  wait  a 
little.  If  Atle's  sons  go  again  on  an  expedition  in  the 
summer,  show  that  you  have  a  little  intelligence,  and 
go  with  them.  Then  you  will  be  five  together,  and  can 
better  hold  your  own  where  you  go.  But  if  you  return 
home  without  a  good  stock  of  red  wine  from  the  land 
of  the  Franks,  I  will  never  see  you  before  my  eyes,  or 
hear  so  much  as  the  sound  of  your  voice.  Go !  " 

Leif  also  talked  with  his  father.  He  was  extravagant 
in  his  description  of  the  matter,  and  lavish  in  promises. 
He  simply  told  his  father  that  now  in  Ireland  and  the 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         123 

British  Isles  grape-wine  from  all  the  lands  of  the  earth 
could  be  bought.  When  the  old  Rodmar,  made  young 
again  by  the  thought  of  earth's  flowing  glories,  began 
to  talk  of  travelling  with  them,  Leif  changed  his  tone, 
and  pictured  the  dangers  and  fatigues  of  the  journey 
in  vivid  colours.  Then  Rodmar  shrivelled  into  himself 
again  and  gave  up  the  thought  of  travelling. 

But  Leif  got  the  keys  of  the  weapon-chest,  and  for 
the  first  time  obtained  his  father's  blessing. 

Ingolf  told  Leif  that  his  father  had  proposed  that 
they  should  join  with  Atle's  sons  in  the  expedition.  At 
first  Leif  was  a  little  annoyed,  but  his  joy  was  so  great 
that  everything  else  became  of  secondary  importance 
in  comparison  with  the  prospect  that  he  was  going  out 
—  out  on  long  journeys  in  the  wide  world.  He  saw  at 
once  the  reasonableness  of  the  proposed  arrangement. 
They  gained  in  strength  by  joining  with  Atle's  sons,  and 
would  be  invincible.  Besides,  there  would  be  more  ships, 
and  the  expedition  would  be  a  grander  thing  all  round. 
And  there  was,  moreover,  something  enticing  in  the  idea 
of  being  with  Atle's  sons  and  witnessing  what  good  and 
evil  befell  them. 

Perhaps  he  would  have  the  experience  of  seeing  one  or 
more  of  them  fall  by  the  enemy's  hand.  That  would 
be  an  experience  worth  bringing  home.  When  he  had 
got  so  far  in  his  considerations,  he  gave  Ingolf's  pro- 
posal his  unconditional  approval. 

There  was  much  joy  in  Orn's  house.  The  old  men 
were  enlivened,  their  stories  became  more  cheerful,  and 
they  were  not  quite  so  peevish  as  before.  They  already 
anticipated  beforehand  in  their  thoughts  how  the  barrels 


124  THE  SWORN  BROTHERS 
of  red  wine  from  the  land  of  the  Franks  would  be 
trundled  up  to  the  house  from  the  landing-place.  They 
knew  how  a  barrel  of  wine  should  be  handled  from  the 
moment  the  bung  was  drawn  out  till  it  stood  empty. 
They  already  became  fastidious  and  difficult  to  pleas* 
with  their  thoughts  of  the  red  wine. 

From  that  time  they  drank  only  mead.  All  other 
beer  tasted  sour,  they  said,  and  wrinkled  their  noses. 
One  day  Orn  summoned  Ingolf  and  reminded  him  in 
an  imperious  tone  of  honey :  "  From  henceforth  only 
mead  will  be  brewed  here  in  the  house.  Go !  " 

Ingolf  smiled  to  himself  when  he  came  out  from  his 
father.  When  no  one  saw  it,  he  permitted  himself  now 
and  then  a  smile.  Ingolf  and  Leif  had  their  ships 
examined,  and  made  other  preparations. 

Leif  spent  most  days  down  below  at  the  boat-houses. 
He  was  indefatigable,  and  showed  a  reflectiveness  and 
care  in  his  preparations  which  both  surprised  and  re- 
joiced Ingolf. 

They  were  to  equip  three  ships,  so  there  was  much 
to  do  in  taking  goods  on  board  and  arranging  them, 
especially  as  the  ships  had  not  been  used  for  many 
years,  and  had  therefore  to  be  made  taut,  tarred  and 
thoroughly  overhauled. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  divided  the  work :  Leif  looked  after 
the  ships  and  their  equipment,  while  Ingolf  managed  the 
properties  of  both,  and  arranged  for  obtaining  by  ex- 
change goods  for  the  expedition. 

Leif  was  indefatigable.  Neither  the  autumn's 
clammy  rain  nor  the  winter's  keen  frost  and  furious 
snowstorms  overcame  his  energy.  The  whole  day  long, 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         125 

and  sometimes  far  into  the  night,  he  was  at  the  water- 
side. Helga  had  to  seek  him  there  so  that  he  should  not 
be  quite  apart  from  her.  She  was  glad  to  see  him  so 
happy  and  absorbed.  She  was  very  warm-hearted,  and 
when  he  could  spare  her  some  time,  it  was  as  though 
he  gave  her  a  treasure.  When  he  thus  for  a  time  had 
forgotten  his  work,  Helga's  exuberant  feeling,  mingled 
with  the  desire  to  see  Leif  at  work,  made  her  occasion- 
ally remind  him  that  he  forgot  the  time.  The  energy 
with  which  he  set  to  work  again  could  be  a  song  of 
secret  gladness  in  Helga's  heart  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

That  winter  it  was  Ingolf  and  Leif's  turn  to  visit 
Atle's  sons.  Already  during  their  first  day  at  Gaulum, 
Ingolf  brought  up  the  subject  which  was  to  him  at  the 
moment  of  greatest  importance.  Turning  to  Haasten, 
he  told  the  brothers  that  he  and  Leif  had  resolved  to  go 
on  an  expedition  in  the  summer,  and  proposed  to  join 
them  under  Haasten's  leadership,  provided  the  brothers 
also  had  determined  on  a  cruise. 

Atle's  sons  had  had  a  prosperous  summer  and  were 
going  out  again.  Haasten  considered  it  self-evident 
that  they  should  go  in  company.  He  asked  his 
brothers'  opinion.  Haersten  agreed  with  him.  "  Leif 
is  two  winters  short  of  the  regular  Viking-age,"  an- 
sered  Holmsten,  with  so  little  reflection  that  he  hardly 
knew  he  had  said  it,  before  the  words  were  out  of  his 
mouth. 

Leif  coloured.  And  as  was  always  the  case  when  he 
became  angry,  he  involuntarily  straightened  himself. 
"  Let  us  see  if  I  stand  back  in  any  matter,  when  occa- 
sion arises,"  he  answered,  keeping  calm  successfully. 


126         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  If  not,  is  there  any  reason  for  setting  me  aside  on  ac- 
count of  my  youth?  "  Ingolf  stood  pale  and  resolute. 
"  Leif  and  I  go  together,"  he  said  slowly.  "  I  did  not 
think  this  objection  possible,  or  I  would  not  have 
brought  forward  any  proposal  for  fellowship.  Yet 
we  all  know  how  common  it  is  that  the  elder  lawfully 
take  the  younger.  Now,  yet  us  talk  no  more  about  it. 
We  brothers  are  men  enough  to  make  our  way  for  our- 
selves." 

"  I  for  my  part  am  willing  to  go  in  fellowship  with 
you  both,"  answered  Holmsten  quietly  and  undisturbed, 
"  and  willing  to  take  Leif.  I  only  meant  by  what  I 
said  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  is  not  of  the 
legal  age." 

"  Then  your  words  were  incautious  and  liable  to  be 
misunderstood,"  said  Haasten  reprovingly,  in  a  severe 
tone  which  he  seldom  used  towards  his  brothers.  Then 
turning  to  Ingolf  he  continued :  "  We  brothers  offer 
you  our  fellowship,  and  beg  you  earnestly  not  to  de- 
cline our  offer.  We  have  been  friends  since  we  were 
boys.  We  belong  together  on  sea  and  on  land.  I  will 
answer  for  it  that  we  brothers  keep  our  agreement  to  the 
last  drop  of  our  blood  and  the  last  farthing  in  our 
possession." 

Thus  they  agreed  to  sail  together  on  a  Viking  expedi- 
tion under  the  leadership  of  Haasten  as  the  eldest.  The 
place  and  time  of  their  meeting  would  be  further  dis- 
cussed with  Ingolf  at  the  time  of  the  spring  sacrifice. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          127 

II 

One  sunny  day  in  the  fresh  early  summer,  when  airy 
white  clouds  were  passing  across  the  bright  blue  sky  and 
a  cheerful  breeze  was  blowing  over  the  dark  blue  sea,  In- 
golf  and  Leif  sailed  with  their  six  ships  from  Dalsfjord 
to  meet  Atle's  sons  at  Hisargavl. 

Busy  days  had  preceded  their  departure.  Ingolf  had 
in  the  course  of  the  }Tear  collected  a  quantity  of  goods. 
They  had  to  be  divided  among  the  ships,  put  on  board, 
stowed  away,  and  secured  carefully.  There  were  dried 
fish  in  quantities  —  some  which  they  had  caught  them- 
selves, and  some  bought  from  Lofoten.  There  were 
dried  skins.  There  were  large  bales  of  wool.  There 
was  also  a  quantity  of  furs,  obtained  from  inland  by 
commerce  with  the  Finns ;  light  wares,  minever,  and 
other  varieties  of  skins.  When  the  goods  had  been 
stowed  together  amidships,  the  whole  heap  was  covered 
with  skins  for  protection  against  rain  and  sea,  and  well 
secured  besides  by  long  ropes  and  straps  of  hide. 

The  two  largest  of  Ingolf's  and  Leif's  six  ships  were 
dragon-ships.  Each  had  five-and-thirty  oars  on  board, 
in  all,  seventy  oar-holes,  and  were  remarkable  warships. 
Splendidly  carved  dragon-heads,  which  could  be  taken 
off  and  put  on  at  pleasure,  towered  high  over  the  sharp 
prows,  showing  their  teeth  in  war-like  fashion  and  with 
tongues  stretched  out  contemptuously  against  sea  and 
sky,  storms  and  enemies.  The  stern  of  the  ship  formed 
the  dragon's  tail,  was  artistically  carved,  and  was,  as 
well  as  the  gunwale,  adorned  with  ingenious  intertwined 
devices. 


128         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

The  other  ships  were  smaller.  Two  of  them  had 
thirty  oars  on  board,  the  others  five-and-twenty.  They 
were  also  ornamented  with  animals'  heads  on  the  bows, 
and  devices  along  the  gunwale  and  stern,  although  not 
so  splendidly  as  the  leading  ships. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  stood  each  on  the  poop  of  his  dragon- 
ship  when  the  little  fleet  rowed  out  from  the  landing- 
place  by  Orn's  house.  On  the  higher  ground  were 
gathered  all  those  who  were  to  remain  behind  at  home. 
While  the  ships  were  still  near  the  land,  loud  shouts 
of  farewell  were  exchanged  between  those  who  stayed 
behind  and  those  who  were  departing.  But  very  soon 
the  long,  slender  ships  with  their  rows  of  oars  crept  out 
of  hearing.  They  could  then  only  make  signs  to  one 
another. 

All  this  fuss  about  departure  annoyed  Ingolf.  As 
soon  as  they  were  in  somewhat  open  water,  he  had  the 
striped,  four-sided,  square  sail  hoisted.  There  was 
only  one  sail  to  each  ship,  but  this  one  could  be  turned 
round  the  mast  and  managed  with  great  ease  and  skill. 

While  they  were  still  near  land  Leif  often  turned  and 
looked  back.  He  only  saw  one  among  the  figures  of 
those  left  behind  —  a  girl  whose  fair  hair  floated  in  the 
breeze.  She  stood  so  still.  Every  time  he  saw  her,  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  which  blotted  her  from  his  view. 
He  did  his  best  to  refrain  from  weeping,  but  was  on  the 
verge  of  tears.  For  the  moment  the  expedition  lost 
all  its  attraction  for  him.  He  felt  suddenly  that  wher- 
ever Helga  was  not,  there  was  only  triviality  and  tedi- 
ousness.  If  he  could  have  done  so  honourably  he  would 
have  turned  back.  He  felt  the  separation  so  acutely 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          129 

that  he  was  neither  aware  of  the  blue  sea  nor  the  sunny 
day.  He  could  not  understand  why  he  had  not  before 
considered  how  impossible  it  really  was  to  be  parted 
from  Helga  for  a  whole  summer.  He  suffered,  more- 
over, from  a  painful  consciousness  that  in  his  joyful 
absorption  in  the  prospect  of  going  on  an  expedition 
he  had  not  thought  of  her  at  all.  He  hoped  that  she 

/  would  not  feel  the  separation  so  severely  as  he  did,  but 
immediately  retraced  the  wish.  For  there  was  a  certain 

1  consolation  in  being  missed.  His  distress  and  inner 
confusion  were  great.  Rapid  oars  were  rowing  away 
from  Helga  and  home,  which  had  always  made  bright- 
ness in  his  soul,  and  had  now  increased  indescribably 
in  value  and  attractiveness  —  rapid  oars  were  rowing 
him  away,  and  he  had  to  let  it  be  so.  He  was  also 
obliged,  in  order  not  to  let  himself  fall  behind,  to  pull 
himself  together  and,  following  Ingolf's  example,  give 
command  to  hoist  the  sail. 

The  striped  sail  bellied  out  joyfully  before  the  breeze. 
The  heavily  loaded  ships  pitched  moderately.  The 
water  foamed  around  their  bows  and  splashed  against 
their  sides.  It  was  a  voyage  of  the  kind  which  makes 
a  man  feel  peaceful  and  comfortable.  The  sting  of 
grief  in  Leif's  consciousness  was  dulled.  His  bereave- 
ment was  mollified  by  the  joy  of  journeying.  The  fjord 
opened  out,  and  angry-looking  waves  spoke  seriously 
with  the  ships,  though  always  in  the  most  friendly  way. 
Willingly  and  yieldingly,  if  only  they  were  able  to  float 
and  advance,  the  ships  obeyed  the  movements  of  the 
waves. 

The  crews  on  board  were  very  cheerful,     Sailing  was 


130         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

a  pleasure.  They  raised  their  ringing  voices  in  a  loud 
song,  while  they  looked  to  the  weapons,  ground  their 
axes,  fixed  spear-points  firm  in  their  shafts,  sharpened 
knives,  and  tested  the  strength  of  their  bows.  The  oars 
lay  in  piles  on  the  forks  hung  up  for  that  purpose,  and 
the  wind  was  friendly  enough  to  do  the  work.  It  was 
all  as  it  should  be;  it  was  a  happiness  to  live  and  a  joy 
to  think  that  they  would  soon  have  use  for  their  weap- 
ons. Arms  and  legs  were  stretched  out,  and  muscles 
were  carefully  and  critically  felt.  Yes,  they  were  all 
right.  Some  had  specially  hard  and  round  knots  of 
muscle  to  show,  which  were  felt  by  all  the  bystanders, 
and  the  owners  were  both  congratulated  and  secretly 
envied.  The  youngest,  and  those  who  had  the  most 
copious  vocabulary,  swore  by  the  salt  water  and  the 
golden  bristles  of  the  holy  boar  that  they  would  neither 
admire  nor  envy.  Secretly  they  promised  themselves 
that  they  would  take  good  swigs  from  the  train-oil 
barrel. 

Thus  the  day  passed,  and  it  was  a  glorious  day. 

By  the  evening  there  was  only  a  certain,  not  alto- 
gether uncomfortable,  depression  remaining  from  the 
pain  Leif  had  felt  at  parting  from  Helga.  The  rest 
of  it  he  threw  off  in  sleep.  As  he  saw  before  him  coasts 
which  he  did  not  know  and  had  not  seen  before  —  per- 
fectly new  coasts  in  varied  beauty  —  his  mind  took  its 
last  and  decisive  turn.  Henceforth  it  only  looked  for- 
ward. 

"  Is  that  Norway,  too?  "  he  asked,  rubbing  his  eyes. 
"  And  have  we  sailed  the  whole  night  ?  Norway  is  great 
and  beautiful !  It  must  be  splendid  to  live  here." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         131 

He  swallowed  every  new  view  with  greedy  eyes. 
These  strange  coasts  aroused  an  intense  desire  to  live 
in  him.  Here  life  was  lived  and  many  things  happened 
—  many  things  which  one  had  no  idea  of. 

The  sworn  brothers  met  Atle's  sons,  who  also  had  each 
three  ships,  at  Hisargavl,  as  they  had  agreed.  And 
carried  by  a  breeze,  which  had  increased  to  what  Vik- 
ings would  call  a  good  wind,  the  fifteen  ships  steered 
westward  over  the  sea.  They  intended  to  go  to  the 
British  Isles  and  greet  the  chiefs  there.  The  ships 
glided  smoothly  over  the  water,  keeping  together  as 
much  as  possible.  Acquaintances  were  made  between 
the  ships,  accompanied  by  mutual  promises  of  beer  and 
wine.  The  new  friends  swore  to  drink  each  other's 
healths  in  horns  as  soon  as  opportunity  offered.  There 
was  much  merriment  on  board.  Here  young  and  old 
felt  in  high  spirits.  On  the  sea  they  were  at  home,  as 
everywhere  where  there  was  a  prospect  of  adventure 
and  the  clash  of  weapons.  And  as  the  wind  increased 
in  strength  their  spirits  rose. 

When,  next  day,  there  came  a  storm,  their  expres- 
sions of  joy  were  not  quite  so  boisterous  and  demon- 
strative ;  now  each  had  something  to  look  after  with  his 
oar  or  scoop,  but  the  air  on  board  was  full  of  courage 
and  contentment  with  events  as  they  might  arrange 
themselves.  A  demand  was  made  on  their  strength,  and 
that  was  not  bad,  since  they  had  it.  They  would  show 
the  old  storm-god,  Aegir,  that  they  too  would  gladly 
have  a  brush  with  him.  "  Come  on,  Aegir's  daughters, 
whose  kiss  is  wet  and  salt  and  in  its  way  burning! 
Come  on,  you  white-tufted,  seaweed-adorned  young 


132         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

maidens!  The  Vikings  will  not  shrink  from  any  em- 
brace, not  even  when  willingly  offered.  Even  Valkyries 
and  Aegir's  daughters  they  will  embrace  with  joy. 
Come  on !  You  will  see  our  fellow's  strength !  "  Thus 
they  sang  and  boasted.  This  voyage  made  the  old  feel 
young  in  soul  again  and  matured  the  young.  Gliding 
along  with  oar  and  scoop,  they  chewed  their  dry  fish. 
They  had  a  long  time  to  wait  for  any  real  sleep  and  rest. 
In  the  light  nights  a  healthy  man  sleeps  only  like  the 
birds.  If  he  is  on  a  sea  voyage,  he  closes  one  eye,  takes 
what  rest  he  can  get  amid  the  waters,  and  enjoys  the 
night  air.  For  the  rest,  he  chews  his  dried  fish  and  is 
content.  One  must  take  the  wind  and  water  as  it 
chances.  If  neither  sun  nor  stars  are  visible,  one  sails 
by  instinct,  which  is  easy.  Odin  the  All-Father  has  had 
his  offerings,  and  Njord  also  is  at  hand.  Perhaps  the 
gods  guide  when  the  stars  fail.  And,  anyhow,  the 
Norns  have  not  lost  them  from  sight.  They  received 
what  was  due  to  them,  and  that  was  as  it  should  be. 

After  some  days  and  nights  of  sailing  in  storm  and 
cloudy  weather  the  Vikings  sighted  land.  One  sleety 
morning,  after  a  night  of  rain,  some  bare,  bleak  islands 
emerged  from  the  fog ;  otherwise  they  seemed  quite  com- 
fortable. The  sea  sang  them  lullabies,  and  bordered 
them  with  white  foam  along  the  cliffs,  like  a  certain 
other  land.  Broad  billows  broke  in  mighty  abandon- 
ment against  rugged  coasts.  "  It  must  be  splendid  to 
live  here,"  thought  Leif.  He  stood  and  stared  at  the 
land  with  longing  in  his  eyes.  Now  they  knew  where 
they  were,  and  could  confidently  sail  farther.  One 
group  of  islands  succeeded  another,  all  equally  bleak 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         133 

and  bare.  The  old  experienced  Vikings  informed  the 
ignorant  that  there  were  the  Hjaltland  and  Orkney 
Islands.  The  two  brothers  had  heard  the  names  before. 
Now  they  knew  where  they  were  situated.  The  Ork- 
neys, the  Hjaltland  Islands  —  here  they  lay. 

Ingolf  was  almost  disappointed,  though  he  regarded 
the  islands  with  interest.  He  said :  "  They  are  desert 
islands  ;  what  good  is  there  in  them?  "  "  They  are  easy 
to  defend,"  an  old  sea-dog  answered  him.  Immediately 
the  islands  gained  in  Ingolf's  estimation,  but  he  did  not 
want  to  live  there. 

They  sailed  farther,  and  came  to  other  islands, 
equally  bleak  and  bare  —  islands  with  small,  narrow 
valleys,  and  here  and  there  a  crooked,  worn,  storm- 
hardened  fir.  Those  who  had  not  voyaged  before, 
learned  that  these  were  the  South  Islands.  They  lay 
here  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  exposed  to  everlasting 
storms,  roared  around  by  unwearied  billows,  veiled  in 
rain  and  fog.  "  Here  the  sun  seldom  shines,"  one  of 
Leif's  company  informed  him,  "  and  certainly  never 
for  a  whole  day."  Leif  thought  that  it  was  a  strange 
and  melancholy  country.  There  was  something  in  his 
mind  which  responded  to  these  islands.  He  would 
gladly  live  here. 

They  sailed  on,  and  found  blue  sky  and  sunshine  on 
the  sea. 

At  last  they  approached  the  shore  of  England. 
When  Ingolf  and  Leif  saw  it,  each  remained  standing  on 
his  poop  dumb  with  delight,  and  a  song  arose  in  both 
their  souls.  This  was  certainly  a  rich  and  glorious 
land!  Such  fertility  they  had  never  thought  possible 


134          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

on  earth.  Did  the  vine  grow  here?  Leif  asked  his 
fellow-countryman,  with  quiet  awe  in  his  voice.  The  old 
greybeard  answered  him,  and  said  that  as  far  as  he 
knew,  when  he  reflected,  the  vine  did  not  grow  in  a  land 
so  far  north.  "  This  land's  fertility  and  wealth  is  cer- 
tainly great,  but  nothing  compared  to  that  of  the  land 
of  the  Franks,"  he  concluded.  Leif  willingly  believed 
him,  but  did  not  understand.  Here  it  must  be  good  to 
live.  In  spite  of  all  bedizened  wooden  gods,  here  he 
would  dwell.  "  Or  let  me  first  see  many  lands,"  he 
added  at  once  with  a  ravenous,  hungry  consciousness 
of  not  being  able  to  live  everywhere.  "  Ah !  The  glori- 
ous lands  of  this  earth  —  there  a  life  is  lived  which 
one  has  no  part  in !  "  he  thought  to  himself,  and  felt 
empty  in  soul. 

Haasten  had  the  peace  flag  hoisted,  and  they  sailed 
towards  the  land.  This  would  be  a  good  place  to  trade 
in.  They  anchored  their  ships  in  a  little  bay  among 
wood-covered  hills  and  heights.  A  crowd  of  armed  men 
had  already  gathered  on  the  place  on  the  shore  where 
they  were  preparing  to  land,  and  stood  gazing  towards 
the  ships.  There  was  evidently  a  great  deal  to  find  out 
on  both  sides.  Yet  they  seemed,  in  spite  of  their  weap- 
ons, quite  peaceful,  and  in  consequence  they  also  hoisted 
the  trade  flag. 

The  ships  arranged  themselves  side  by  side,  according 
to  Haasten's  directions,  the  first  so  near  to  the  land 
that  it  could  be  made  fast  by  a  rope  to  a  rock  on  the 
shore. 

Men  with  long  hooks  stood  at  the  ship's  sterns  and 
kept  them  stationary,  till  the  anchor-stones  fell  in  their 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         135 

proper  places,  and  it  was  clear  that  the  ships  were 
secured.  Then  a  long,  slender  plank  with  steps  cut  in 
it  was  pushed  towards  the  land.  By  it  Atle's  sons  and 
the  two  sworn  brothers  with  them  went  ashore. 

The  chiefs  of  the  district  inquired  of  them  in  cour- 
teous language  what  they  had  to  sell.  Haasten  told 
them,  and  asked  them  in  turn  what  wares  could  be 
bought  here.  When  all  information  had  been  given  it 
was  clear  that  both  parties  wished  to  trade,  and  they 
quickly  resolved  on  a  two  weeks'  peace  for  that  purpose. 

When  the  peace  was  made,  and  hostages  given  on  both 
sides,  serfs  dragged  cauldons  and  iron  stands  on  shore. 
Other  serfs  were  sent  to  collect  fuel.  How  good  it 
would  be  to  taste  hot  food  again!  On  board  the  ships 
no  fire  could  be  made ;  there  one  lived  on  dried  fish,  dried 
and  smoked  meat,  and  bread  which  gradually  became  a 
trial  to  their  teeth.  That  was  luxurious  fare  on  board, 
and  tasted  well  in  hungry  mouths.  On  land  it  was  an- 
other story;  there  they  liked  to  sit  round  a  smoking 
pot.  The  first  thing  they  bought  was  an  ox.  There- 
with that  day  was  finished. 

Leif  was  very  restless ;  he  had  to  go  out  and  look 
round  the  neighbourhood.  He  chose  a  number  of  his 
best  men,  obtained  leave  to  kill  game,  and  gave  him- 
self up  to  roaming  about  the  woods,  not  so  much  to 
hunt  as  to  see.  He  feasted  his  eyes  on  the  mighty 
forests  and  the  beauty  of  the  calm  lakes.  He  drank 
in  joyfully  the  foreign  air,  and  let  his  mind  be  charmed 
by  the  contours  of  the  foreign  landscape. 

But  the  unrest  in  his  blood  would  not  be  quieted.  The 
wonderful  perfume  from  all  the  growths  of  the  earth, 


136         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

the  sight  of  the  luxurious  overarching  fruit-trees  in 
blossom,  the  fragrant  scent  of  the  meadows,  and  the 
profusion  everywhere  of  brightly  coloured  flowers  — 
all  these  combined  to  intoxicate  him.  Besides,  he  ob- 
tained wine,  which  he  had  never  tasted  before,  and  was 
transported  in  gladness  and  forgetfulness.  He  also 
looked  with  restless  curiosity  in  the  bright,  promising 
eyes  of  many  delightful  young  women  —  eyes  which 
tempted  like  ripe  fruit. 

When  a  week  had  passed  in  this  way,  Ingolf  spoke  to 
him  in  a  friendly  and  smiling  fashion,  and  reminded  him 
that  he  was  forgetting  to  trade.  Leif  was  a  little  em- 
barrassed by  his  smile,  and  suddenly  became  very  busy. 
It  was  true  he  had  completely  forgotten  to  trade.  He 
went  to  the  market  and  looked  at  the  wares.  And 
when  he  saw  there  a  quantity  of  silk  goods  and  richly 
elaborated  ornaments  of  gold,  silver,  and  gilded  bronze, 
he  remembered  Helga,  gave  himself  up  to  trade,  and  for- 
got to  chaffer  about  the  things.  He  bought  many 
ornaments.  As  soon  as  he  had  bought  one,  he  fell  in 
love  with  another.  He  bought  precious  stones,  costly 
clothes,  and  delicate  silks.  Then  his  eye  fell  on  some 
artistic  gold-embroidered  stuffs  he  had  never  seen  the 
like  of,  and  he  bought  a  quantity  of  them.  Glasswares 
of  different  kinds,  goblets,  vessels,  and  pearls  were  also 
a  speciality ;  of  them  he  had  to  make  a  copious  selection. 
He  enjoyed  this  new  experience  of  looking  at  things 
and  then  buying  them.  An  article  which  he  had  never 
seen  before,  and  had  not  the  faintest  idea  that  it  existed 
in  the  world,  became  suddenly  his  property,  and  as- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         137 

sumed  life  and  significance.     That  gave  expansion  to 
his  mind. 

Ingolf  kept  an  eye  upon  him,  and  amused  himself  in 
his  quiet  way  at  his  method  of  trading.  In  commerce 
as  in  everything  else  Leif  was  simplicity  itself,  and  never 
learnt  to  use  his  reason  or  to  keep  within  bounds.  In- 
golf let  him  go  on  till  he  found  he  had  gone  far  enough ; 
then  he  put  the  brakes  on. 

"  Give  me  now  rather  power  to  trade  with  your 
wares,"  he  proposed  to  him.  "  You  are  no  good  at 
trade;  you  only  buy  the  most  unnecessary  things,  and 
let  yourself  be  cheated  into  the  bargain.  In  the  winter 
you  cannot  satisfy  your  hunger  with  clothes  or  allay 
your  thirst  with  empty  glass  goblets."  Leif  saw  that 
he  was  right,  and  willingly  granted  him  the  desired  au- 
thority. He  had  bought  many  things,  and  felt  like  a 
king.  Already  he  pictured  to  himself  his  homecoming. 
First  he  would  give  Helga  a  single  article  such  as  he 
did  not  possess  many  of.  She  would  kiss  him,  and  her 
face  would  be  tinged  with  a  delicate  red,  as  was  the  case 
when  she  was  happy  or  emotionally  stirred.  Then  he 
would  come  with  another  thing  and  still  another,  till 
Helga  stood  speechless  with  her  eyes  full  of  tears. 
Then  he  would  draw  her  to  himself.  .  .  . 

It  seemed  to  him  a  very  long,  dreary  summer  he  was 
approaching.  As  he  was  in  the  act  of  leaving  the  mar- 
ket his  eye  fell  on  an  ornament  with  carved  figures  of 
gilt  bone.  He  felt  he  must  have  it,  even  if  it  cost  three 
bear-skins.  Ingolf  intervened  in  the  matter,  and  Leif 
obtained  the  ornament  for  one  bearskin.  So  he  was  at 


138         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

length  satisfied  and  gave  up  all  further  trading.  Then 
he  roamed  round  again  in  the  woods  with  his  little  fol- 
lowing, or  simply  lay  and  dozed,  and  let  longing  and 
delight  pass  like  swift  breezes  through  his  mind.  "  Ah, 
England,"  he  thought,  "  your  land  is  fertile  and  your 
women  are  beautiful." 

He  wished  gradually  that  he  could  live  and  be  mar- 
ried in  all  the  lands  of  the  earth  —  preferably  all  at 
once.  He  dreamt  much  of  women  at  that  time.  He 
imbibed  their  various  charms  with  much  appreciation. 
But  sometimes  his  longing  for  Helga  drove  all  others 
out  of  his  mind.  Helga  sat  at  home  and  was  faithful  to 
him,  and  awaited  him  with  longing.  How  did  the  days 
pass  with  her?  His  heart  began  to  beat  heavily  and 
with  a  feeling  of  guilt  regarding  her.  She  possessed 
him  once  for  all.  She  was  his.  Yes,  she  was  like  the 
year,  and  the  other  women  were  like  days  —  the  fleeting 
days.  He  compared  in  his  thoughts  all  the  different 
women,  who  had  made  an  impression  on  him,  with 
Helga.  One  by  one  they  faded  and  disappeared  as  he 
remembered  Helga,  who  was  his.  They  disappeared  — 
yes !  But  it  is  to  be  observed  that  this  lasted  only  till 
he  saw  them  again,  when  they  again  kindled  his  restless- 
ness and  manifold  longing. 

The  day  came  when  the  trade-truce  was  over.  Haas- 
ten  did  not  think  there  was  any  reason  to  prolong  it, 
and  consulted  Ingolf  on  the  subject.  Ingolf  answered 
that  they  had  bought  what  they  wanted,  and  agreed 
with  him.  So  the  hostages  were  returned  on  both  sides 
with  many  precautions,  and  the  Viking-ships,  disbur- 
dened of  their  cargoes,  rowed  out  of  the  bay  and  hoisted 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         139 

sail.  But  they  only  sailed  away  for  appearance'  sake. 
By  night  they  ran  into  another  bay.  They  had  a 
great  desire  to  get  some  spoil  along  the  fertile  coast. 
But  they  did  not  return  unexpected.  The  chief  of  the 
district,  foreseeing  this  possibility,  had  collected  all 
his  people,  and  now  stood  ready  to  meet  them  on  the 
shore.  Haasten  thought  it  safer  not  to  attempt  a 
landing  where  so  many  opposed  them,  and  ordered  the 
ships  to  row  out  of  the  bay  again. 

The  old  Vikings  grumbled,  his  brothers  were  silent, 
and  Leif  foamed  with  rage.  But  Haasten  did  not  care 
at  all.  He  remained  lying  outside  the  bay  for  two  days 
and  nights.  The  weather  was  calm,  and  not  suitable 
for  sailing.  He  held  the  chief  and  his  people  bound 
to  the  spot.  Then  what  he  expected  happened.  A 
powerful  wind  made  it  possible  to  set  sail  at  once,  to 
run  down  along  the  coast  quicker  than  the  people  on 
shore  could  follow,  to  anchor  up  the  mouth  of  a  river, 
and  to  have  the  crews  drawn  up  on  land  in  battle-array 
before  the  main  force  of  the  people  of  the  district  could 
get  there. 

Haasten  had  only  allowed  a  few  men  to  remain  on 
board,  but  his  force  was  far  inferior  in  numbers  to  that 
of  the  defenders.  The  fight  took  place  in  a  flat  meadow 
along  the  river.  Haasten  quickly  saw  that  he  had 
undertaken  more  than  he  could  manage.  These  native 
troops  had  obviously  encountered  the  Vikings  before. 
Haasten  quickly  gave  his  people  orders  to  take  refuge 
on  board ;  he  did  not  wish  to  run  the  risk  of  losing  men 
so  early  in  the  summer. 

Leif  and  Holmsten  happened  to  be  near  one  another 


140          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

in  the  fight.  Each  quickly  discovered  how  bravely  and 
boldly  the  other  fought,  and  that  fact,  together  with  the 
circumstance  that  they  here  stood  side  by  side  in  a  battle 
for  life  and  death,  drew  them  nearer  to  each  other,  and 
banished  for  a  while  all  hate  towards  Holmsten  out  of 
Leif's  mind.  They  were  vexed  at  the  order  to  go  on 
board  with  their  task  unperformed,  but  obeyed. 

When  they  were  safe,  Holmsten  said :  "  Listen,  Leif ; 
let  us  take  a  pair  of  the  smallest  and  swiftest  ships,  and 
make  a  trip  on  our  own  account  along  the  coast." 

Leif  immediately  agreed.  Haasten  bade  them  do  as 
they  liked,  but  to  be  careful  not  to  be  too  long  away. 
But  Ingolf  gave  his  vote  against  the  expedition. 

"  Let  the  boys  amuse  themselves  a  little,"  Haasten 
said,  with  a  smile.  "  It  will  do  them  good.  They  fight 
smartly  by  themselves.  And  we  will  give  them  some 
good  men."  Since  Haasten  promised  that  the  other 
ships  should  follow  them  as  soon  as  a  great  part  of  the 
enemy's  forces  had  dispersed  in  order  to  follow  the  two 
game-cocks'  movements,  Ingolf  yielded,  although  with 
reluctance. 

When  the  chiefs  on  shore  saw  two  small  ships  separate 
themselves  from  the  fleet  and  sail  away,  they  believed 
that  it  was  a  stratagem,  and  dispatched  only  a  small 
force  from  the  place  to  keep  an  eye  on  them.  Haasten 
had  reckoned  on  this,  and  now  Ingolf's  anxiety  was 
partly  quieted. 

Leif  and  Holmsten  sailed  up  along  the  coast,  and 
succeeded  in  landing.  But  they  had  no  experience  in 
drawing  up  men  for  battle,  and  when  the  land  forces 
sent  to  watch  them  suddenly  attacked,  there  was  no 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         141 

order  among  their  men.  There  followed  a  confused 
struggle  which  soon  developed  into  a  number  of  single 
combats,  man  against  man.  Leif  was  opposed  by  an 
older  fighter  than  himself,  who  did  not  leave  or  afford 
him  the  least  opening  for  an  attack.  He  had  enough 
to  do  to  ward  off  his  rapid  and  heavy  blows  with  shield 
and  sword.  Leif  already  thought  that  that  day  would 
be  his  last  under  the  sun ;  he  felt  a  paralysing  fear  steal- 
ing slowly  over  him  and  robbing  him  of  strength.  He 
noticed  that  he  had  become  wet  down  to  his  legs,  which 
had  begun  to  shake  violently,  and  shame  and  fear  con- 
centrated themselves  to  a  wild  frenzy  in  his  soul.  He 
suddenly  saw  red.  If  he  were  to  fall,  his  opponent 
should  at  any  rate  carry  away  marks  of  the  battle. 
He  flung  away  sword  and  shield,  and  took  hold  of  his 
battle-ax.  How  he  killed  the  other  he  never  understood, 
but  at  last  he  had  him  stretched  flat  on  the  ground.  He 
picked  up  his  sword  and  shield,  completely  out  of  breath, 
and  shaking  in  his  whole  body,  and  looked  around  for  a 
new  opponent.  Not  far  away  the  leader  of  the  land- 
force  was  exchanging  powerful  blows  with  Holmsten. 
Holmsten  had  had  his  shield  hewn  in  pieces,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  something  the  matter  with  his  opponent's 
sword.  When  Leif  had  stood  for  a  moment  looking  on, 
his  eye  fell  on  a  man  who  was  approaching  Holmsten 
from  behind  with  uplifted  ax.  It  was  impossible  for 
Leif  to  get  near  in  time,  but  purely  instinctively  he 
grasped  his  spear,  and  as  instinctively  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment before  throwing  it.  Holmsten's  head  cloven  by  an 
ax  was  what  he  in  his  heart  longed  to  see.  But  it  was 
as  impossible  to  let  it  happen  as  it  was  desirable.  It 


142         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

must  not  happen !  The  spear  whistled  through  the 
air,  and  a  man  with  lifted  ax  fell  over  on  his  face  just 
behind  Holmsten's  back.  Holmsten's  opponent  had  be- 
come aware  that  something  was  happening,  and  became 
for  a  moment  off  his  guard.  Holmsten  took  advantage 
of  that  moment,  drove  his  sword  into  his  stomach,  and 
thrust  hard.  The  other  tottered  and  fell,  with  the 
greatest  astonishment  in  his  distorted  face.  And  now 
that  their  leader  had  fallen,  the  rest  of  the  force  fled. 
Some  of  them  were  cut  down  while  flying.  Holmsten 
and  Leif  gave  themselves  no  time  to  draw  breath. 
They  ran  towards  the  town,  followed  by  their  men. 
The  women  and  children  fled  in  great  confusion  when 
they  saw  the  Vikings  approaching.  Some  of  the  men 
wanted  to  go  after  them,  and  Leif  felt  his  heart  thump 
in  his  breast  when  he  saw  the  young  women  flying.  Es- 
pecially one  of  them,  whom  he  clearly  recognized,  and 
who  did  not  seem  to  be  taking  very  much  trouble  to  es- 
cape, and  certainly  had  set  her  eye  upon  him,  attracted 
him.  But  when  he  heard  Holmsten  call  the  men  back 
sharply,  he  gave  up  following  her.  Holmsten  was  ob- 
viously strongly  excited,  though  outwardly  quite  calm. 
"  First  work,  then  play !  "  he  commanded,  in  a  tone 
which  permitted  no  opposition,  and  the  Vikings  directed 
their  course  further  against  the  deserted  town.  Holm- 
sten and  the  other  sons  of  Atle  had  not  bought  anything 
but  corn,  honey,  and  wine.  What  they  wanted  in  the 
shape  of  articles  of  luxury  and  clothes,  they  expected 
to  get  without  further  expenditure.  It  was  plain  that 
there  was  plenty  to  take  in  the  town.  A  rich  booty  of 
ornaments,  silks,  clothes,  precious  stones,  and  other 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         143 

similar  things  was  collected  in  bundles  and  carried  to 
the  waiting  ships.  When  this  had  been  seen  to,  Holm- 
sten  gave  as  many  of  his  men  as  he  could  spare  leave  to 
go  on  shore.  Now  they  could  go  and  flirt  with  the  girls 
if  they  liked.  Holmsten  remained  on  board  and  stowed 
away  the  booty.  So  Leif  could  not  manage  to  go  on 
shore,  though  he  greatly  wanted  to  see  what  was  up 
there  in  the  wood. 

When  sunset  approached,  and  it  began  to  be  evening, 
Holmsten  told  Leif  to  go  on  shore  and  blow  the  signal 
with  the  horn  for  the  crews  to  go  on  board.  They  had 
collected  plenty  of  booty,  and  there  was  nothing  more  to 
wait  for.  Now  they  had  been  long  enough  on  shore. 
Leif  had  from  the  ship  marked  a  little  height  which  lay 
apart,  and  from  which  the  horn  could  be  heard  far 
around.  Upon  it  he  meant  to  stand  and  give  the  sig- 
nal. The  ascent  to  the  height  was  covered  with  low 
bushes.  In  one  of  these  bushes  Leif's  eye  fell  on  a  girl. 
He  looked  more  closely,  and  knew  her  again.  Her  eye 
was  soft  and  timid,  and  she  was  very  young.  Leif 
forgot  what  he  had  gone  for,  and  remained  with  her. 
He  cooled  his  hot  face  in  the  profusion  of  her  dark 
hair,  and  lost  himself.  First  he  was  taken  with  her  ex- 
travagant wildness;  then  he  was  scared,  and  rapidly 
cooled  off.  When  he  left  her,  she  wept.  Leif  went 
slowly  farther  up  the  ascent.  When  he  reached  the  top, 
he  set  the  horn  to  his  mouth  and  blew  hard.  Its  tones 
reverberated  angrily  over  the  landscape.  Leif  was  de- 
pressed in  mind  by  disappointment  and  weariness.  It 
was  not  a  pleasant  weariness  like  that  after  a  battle. 
He  had  toyed  with  the  British  girls,  and  dared  not  think 


144         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

of  Helga.  The  remembrance  of  Helga  was  like  a  wound 
in  his  soul  —  a  wound  which  he  dared  not  touch  lest  he 
should  tear  it  open.  It  must  have  time  to  heal,  which  it 
might  by  forgetf ulness.  He  felt  a  great  relief  when  they 
rowed  out  from  the  bay  and  set  sail.  He  never  wished 
to  come  here  again.  Up  on  the  height  a  girl  sat  and 
wept.  In  self-defence  he  hardened  himself.  Let  her 
weep!  What  was  it  to  him?  He  was  not  hers,  and  she 
had  sought  him  herself. 

Holmsten  and  Leif  were  greeted  with  loud  shouts  of 
joy  when  they  returned  to  the  fleet.  They  gave  an  ac- 
count of  the  battle,  showed  their  booty,  and  reaped 
much  praise.  When  Haasten  and  Ingolf  heard  that 
Leif  had  saved  Holmsten's  life,  they  exchanged  a  look, 
and  were  both  very  glad.  Haasten  praised  Leif  for  his 
prowess  in  battle,  and  it  was  a  great  honour  to  be 
praised  aloud  by  Haasten.  But  it  gave  Leif  little 
pleasure  now.  His  unstable  mind  had  lost  its  balance. 
Now  he  wished  that  he  had  never  thrown  the  spear. 
Ingolf  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  a  change  had 
taken  place  in  his  brother.  He  knew  Leif,  and  guessed 
the  reason.  A  long  sea  voyage  would  be  the  best  for 
Leif  now,  he  thought,  and  he  induced  Haasten  to  alter 
his  plan  and  to  sail  first  to  a  place  on  the  Irish  coast 
which  he  knew  lay  far  away.  Haasten  complied  will- 
ingly. He  had  been  successful  in  trading,  and  had  se- 
cured a  rich  booty.  Perhaps  it  was  the  most  prudent 
course  not  to  visit  at  once  the  nearest  coasts.  It  was 
never  certain  what  connections  there  might  be  between 
the  different  chiefs  of  the  district.  So  they  hoisted  sail 
and  directed  their  course  towards  Ireland. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         145 

It  was  soon  evident  that  Ingolf's  insight  was  correct 
with  regard  to  what  Leif  needed  to  restore  his  mind  to 
its  balance  again. 

They  encountered  a  lively  summer  storm  in  the  chan- 
nel. That  was  beneficial.  The  warmth  and  the  fine 
weather  had  begun  to  make  the  crews  somewhat  slack. 

The  sea  journey  ventilated  Leif's  mind.  He  again 
became  his  former  self :  a  young  Viking  with  desire  for 
adventures  of  all  kinds  and  an  insatiable  thirst  to  see 
new  lands  and  to  exchange  blows  with  foreign  chiefs. 


Ill 

The  Vikings  travelled  far  that  summer.  From  Eng- 
land they  sailed  to  Ireland,  past  the  Isle  of  Man,  whose 
cliff -lined  coast  they  could  only  salute  on  that  journey. 
Later  on  they  meant  to  renew  and  deepen  their  acquain- 
tanceship with  it. 

They  had  successful  trade  with  Ireland.  Leif  saw 
many  new  things  which  he  could  not  resist.  Ingolf 
looked  after  the  purchase  of  corn,  honey,  wine,  wheat, 
and  the  more  useful  articles  of  metal  for  both  of  them. 

Atle's  sons  were  excellent  traders.  At  first  they 
made  considerably  more  out  of  their  goods  than  the 
sworn  brothers.  But  Ingolf  gave  close  attention  to 
their  proceedings,  and  learnt  the  art  from  them.  And 
when  he  had  learnt  all  that  Atle's  sons  could  do  in  the 
matter  of  trade,  he  did  not  remain  stationary  at  that 
point.  He  developed  himself  further  on  his  own  ac- 
count. Instead  of  doing  trade  in  single  articles,  he  be- 


146         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

gan  to  deal  with  considerable  quantities.  This  brought 
in  greater  gains.  Soon  the  sons  of  Atle  had  something 
to  learn  from  him. 

The  five  Viking  leaders  had  remained  on  the  best 
terms  together.  Haasten,  with  his  self-control  and 
sense  of  fairness,  was  distinctly  marked  out  as  leader. 
Leif  had  still  fits  of  hatred  towards  Holmsten  and  of 
ill-humour  towards  the  other  brothers,  but  he  kept  his 
temper  under  restraint.  And  whenever  they  encoun- 
tered foes  he  became,  as  it  were,  at  once  their  brother, 
and  fought  bravely  on  their  side. 

He  much  admired  Atle's  sons'  skill  in  handling  their 
weapons  and  their  composure  in  battle.  They  fought 
as  coolly  and  calmly  as  if  nothing  at  all  serious  was 
intended.  Only  when  they  attacked  was  a  certain  ex- 
citement apparent.  An  attack  by  one  of  Atle's  sons 
meant  generally  a  swift  death  for  the  opponent.  They 
played,  to  be  sure,  but  there  was  seriousness  in  their 
play.  It  meant  nothing  less  than  life  or  death. 

Leif  was  greatly  taken  by  the  immovable  calm  with 
which  they  let  their  weapons  talk.  He  did  not  under- 
stand how  they  could  fight  and  yet  at  the  same  time  be 
as  it  were  spectators.  He  understood  Ingolf's  method 
of  fighting  much  better. 

Ingolf  attacked  at  once  with  his  full  strength  and 
remained  steadily  on  the  offensive.  His  figure  seemed 
to  increase  in  weight.  His  blows  clove  shields,  and  his 
thrust  penetrated  where  it  struck.  He  never  let  him- 
self be  forced  into  a  defensive  attitude,  but  attacked 
fiercely,  though  always  under  control.  His  mode  of 
fighting  was  not  so  supercilious  as  that  of  Atle's  sons ; 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         147 

he  gave  himself  more  away,  but  preserved  his  composure. 
This  quietness  and  assurance  of  Ingolf  and  Atle's  sons 
remained  a  riddle  for  Leif.  For  him,  composure  in 
battle  would  have  meant  simply  death.  He  handled  his 
weapons  very  awkwardly  till  he  began  to  see  red.  From 
that  moment  he  became  so  sure  in  his  use  of  them  that  it 
was  a  pleasure  to  watch  him.  But  he  fought  uncon- 
sciously, and  did  not  know  what  had  happened  before 
his  opponent  lay  prone.  Then  for  the  first  time  he  took 
breath  and  collected  himself.  It  was  fine  to  see  him, 
when  he  let  himself  go,  tall  and  disorderly,  crouching 
in  the  indomitable  display  of  his  strength.  It  seemed 
easy  to  take  his  life,  and  as  if  his  enemy  had  it  in  his 
hand.  Leif  did  not  care  how  many  openings  he  gave 
his  opponent.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  take  advantage 
of  these  openings,  for  he  never  remained  long  in  one 
place.  He  danced  round  his  enemy,  confused  him  with 
his  apparent  want  of  plan  in  attack,  and  pierced  or 
slashed  him  before  he  was  aware.  Haasten  enjoyed 
watching  Leif  fight.  He  insisted  that  Leif  was  invinci- 
ble, for  he  was  so  thoroughly  absorbed  in  the  battle  that 
even  a  superior  opponent  must  give  way  before  his  wasp- 
ish attack.  "  Leif  could  only  be  killed  by  accident  — 
only  a  mistletoe  branch  could  strike  him,"  -Haasten 
said.  He  came  to  be  quite  fond  of  Leif. 

The  Viking  expedition  sailed  farther  along  the  coasts 
of  Ireland,  and  Leif  was  fascinated  with  the  remarkable 
country  he  found  there.  Ireland,  that  unquiet,  ever- 
changing  land,  appealed  in  a  peculiarly  intimate  degree 
to  his  heart.  Every  time  that  he  thought  he  knew  it, 
he  discovered  that  he  did  not.  He  was  continually 


148         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

coming  across  something  new.  Wild,  stony  tracts  were 
suddenly  succeeded  by  fertile  plains.  Desert  heaths, 
dark  woods,  narrow  valleys  with  black  rivers  at  the 
bottom,  friendly  coasts,  rugged  lines  of  cliff,  peaceful 
towering  mountains,  placid  lakes,  roaring  rivers  —  all 
these  Ireland  had.  Most  wonderful  of  all,  perhaps, 
were  the  abruptly  changing  lights.  Ireland  had  its 
own  sky,  full  of  whims  like  itself,  rapidly  changing  from 
lofty  pure  blue  depths  to  a  watery  layer  of  clouds  over 
the  land.  There  might  be  a  blazing  festival  of  sunshine 
over  the  landscape,  and  the  next  moment  it  was  over- 
shadowed by  heavy  masses  of  cloud.  A  tract  of  coun- 
try which  had  been  like  a  brilliant  smile  was  suddenly 
completely  changed,  and  became  dark  and  threatening, 
filled  with  a  special  sense  of  discomfort,  deep  and  un- 
escapable  as  a  dream.  Ireland  played  with  one's  heart, 
filled  it  with  joy,  to  oppress  it  the  next  moment  with 
fear  and  foreboding. 

And  Ireland's  people  were  like  Ireland's  land  and 
light.  They  were  wild  men  whose  soul  was  a  mixture  of 
gentle  dreaminess  and  fierce  rage.  People  who  devoted 
themselves  to  fighting  with  their  whole  soul  and  did  not 
know  how  to  give  or  expect  quarter.  Their  polite 
friendliness,  nay,  even  brotherliness,  in  peaceful  inter- 
course stood  in  glaring  contrast  to  the  savagery  in 
battle  and  their  cruelty  towards  fallen  or  captive  ene- 
mies. They  could  amuse  themselves  by  opening  a  man's 
stomach  and  letting  him  wind  the  entrails  out  of  his 
body  by  leading  him  round  a  tree.  They  counted  that 
a  delightful  amusement,  and  their  gaiety  was  enhanced 
if  the  captive  groaned.  They  were  a  nation  of  singular 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         149 

enthusiasts,  bards  and  warriors,  swarthy  or  red-haired, 
and  alternately  irascible  or  quiet. 

Never  in  his  life  had  Leif  seen  so  many  remarkably 
beautiful  women  as  he  did  here.  There  were  women 
with  rich  red  hair,  soft  gleaming  skins,  quiet  and  invit- 
ing beings.  They  aroused  his  longing.  There  were 
also  dark  women,  who  were  in  themselves  not  less  taking. 
Their  pale  skins  and  dark  eyes  filled  Leif's  dreams. 
There  were  other  dark  women  with  golden  skin,  pliant 
and  slender.  There  was  abundance  of  women  of  all 
complexions,  and  nearly  all  were  beautiful. 

The  Vikings  were  enthusiastic  about  them,  but  their 
enthusiasm  was  moderated  by  the  fact  that  the  women 
carried  daggers  hidden  in  their  clothes,  so  that  now  and 
then  there  was  only  a  step  between  love  and  death. 
Generally  speaking,  the  Vikings  were  not  unpopular 
among  the  Irish  women.  And  not  seldom  an  originally 
loose  connection  between  a  Norwegian  chief  and  an  Irish 
girl  developed  into  marriage. 

Besides  these  people,  the  Vikings  in  Ireland  came 
across  another  type  still  more  savage  in  manners  and 
shape,  with  tattooed  bodies.  It  was  a  matter  for  aston- 
ishment to  see  the  contrast  between  the  land  and  the 
people.  The  sworn  brothers  and  Atle's  sons  traded 
and  ravaged  far  and  wide  in  Ireland  and  the  British 
Isles  that  summer.  On  the  whole,  they  had  had  good 
luck,  made  good  trade,  taken  much  booty,  and  only  lost 
few  men.  The  last  was  especially  due  to  Haasten's 
wise  moderation  and  always  vigilant  foresight. 

Haasten  had  often  since  employed  the  stratagem, 
which  had  succeeded  so  well  the  first  time,  of  sending 


150         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Leif  and  Holmsten  out  on  a  foray  with  two  of  the 
smallest  ships,  while  the  rest  of  the  fleet  detained  the 
land  defenders  at  another  spot.  Holmsten  and  Leif 
both  equally  enjoyed  these  excursions.  And  as  they 
always  took  the  best  men  with  them,  their  expeditions 
generally  succeeded,  and  brought  in  rich  booty. 

Once,  however,  it  had  nearly  gone  hard  with  them. 
A  Swedish  Viking-fleet  consisting  of  five  well-manned 
ships  came  across  them  as  they  were  rowing  out  of  a 
bay,  where  their  ships  had  lain  while  they  made  a  foray 
on  shore.  The  Swedes  inspected  them  a  little,  and 
thought  that  they  could  make  use  both  of  the  ships  and 
of  what  might  be  found  on  board.  So  they  hoisted 
their  battle-flag  and  set  after  them.  Leif  and  Holm- 
sten were  obliged  to  accept  battle  with  the  superior 
forces  of  the  enemy.  It  was  impossible  to  escape. 
They  cleared  their  ships  for  the  combat,  determining 
not  to  surrender.  But  before  the  battle  had  begun, 
the  other  ships  came  rowing  round  a  neighbouring 
promontory.  Leif  and  Holmsten  had  been  longer  away 
than  usual  that  time,  and  Haasten,  and  especially  In- 
golf,  had  at  last  become  uneasy,  and  determined  to  go 
and  look  after  them. 

When  the  Swedes  saw  the  other  ships  approaching, 
and  perceived  that  they  were  many  and  large,  they 
turned  sharp  round  and  rowed  away  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, but  the  wind  was  slack  and  unreliable,  and  the 
Swedes  were  lucky  to  find  a  fog-bank,  which  they  ran 
into  and  escaped.  When  this  happened,  the  summer 
was  already  approaching  its  end.  The  Vikings  had  by 
that  time  sold  all  that  they  had  brought  with  them  from 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         151 

home,  and  were  well  provided  with  foreign  goods  of  every 
kind.  There  was  really  nothing  more  to  wait  for. 

The  sea  began  to  awake  gradually  from  its  summer 
lethargy.  It  was  plainly  shown  by  the  ships'  move- 
ments that  the  waves  were  already  aware  of  the  ap- 
proach of  winter. 

The  ships  were  all  heavily  laden.  And  as  they  were 
warships  they  were  not  very  well  adapted  for  voyaging 
in  the  autumn.  So  the  Vikings  sailed  home  over  the 
sea,  the  same  way  as  they  had  come,  under  the  colour- 
less skies  of  late  summer  by  day  and  the  clear  golden 
stars  by  night. 

They  had  prosperous  winds,  and  reached  Norway 
about  the  time  that  the  leaves  were  beginning  to  fall. 

Leif  was  full  of  longing  for  Helga  during  the  voyage 
home.  He  counted  the  days  and  could  not  sleep.  It 
seemed  to  him  suddenly  that  in  the  course  of  the  summer 
she  had  come  very  close  to  him.  Absence  and  separa- 
tion had,  as  it  were,  intimately  united  them.  His  long- 
ing, however,  was  considerably  mingled  with  fear  —  a 
fear  without  shape  or  distinct  substance,  yet  none  the 
less  painful. 

At  Hisargavl,  Atle's  sons  took  leave  of  Ingolf  and 
Leif.  They  thanked  each  other  for  the  summer  they 
had  spent  together,  arranged  to  meet  there  next  sum- 
mer, drank  each  other's  health  in  dark  wine  from  glass 
goblets,  and  swore  eternal  friendship.  Ingolf  and  Leif 
invited  Atle's  sons  to  come  to  the  feast  the  first  day  of 
the  month  of  Goi,  with  as  large  a  retinue  as  they  liked 
to  bring,  and  Atle's  sons  promised  to  come.  Holmsten, 
half-intoxicated,  happened  to  mention  Helga's  name, 


152         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

and  Leif  listened  with  all  his  ears.  But  for  the  rest  he 
could  make  nothing  out  of  Holmsten's  confused  talk, 
except  that  he  now  knew  that  Helga  was  in  his  thoughts. 
That  evening  Leif  threw  a  spear  overboard.  So  the 
sworn  brothers  and  Atle's  sons  parted,  and  each  sailed 
home  with  the  rich  booty  of  the  summer. 


IV 

Helga  awoke  in  the  night  and  heard  the  sound  of  oars 
in  the  fjord.  She  dressed  hastily  and  went  down  to  the 
landing-place.  It  was  full  moon,  but  the  sky  was 
covered  with  dark  masses  of  clouds.  Out  on  the  dark 
surface  of  the  fjord  the  ships  looked  black  and  ghostly. 
A  sudden  fear  made  Helga's  heart  tremble.  The  ships 
came  rowing  so  silently  in  the  night.  The  stroke  of  the 
oars  sounded  so  lonely  in  the  stillness.  Was  Leif  with 
them?  She  counted  the  ships  and  found  they  were  not 
the  full  number.  But  she  could  not  distinguish  them 
clearly,  and  the  larger  ones  might  overshadow  the 
smaller.  How  silently  they  rowed!  Would  it  not  be 
better  if  she  went  home  to  bed?  That  would  be  where 
she  would  lie  if  she  came  to  know  that  she  would  no  more 
see  Leif.  She  would  never  wish  to  get  up  again.  The 
foremost  ship  rowed  into  the  somewhat  broken  moon- 
light on  the  surface  of  the  fjord.  Helga  thought  she 
could  recognize  it.  Was  that  not  Leif's  dragon?  She 
strained  her  eyes  till  they  smarted,  and  ran  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  water.  The  ship  over  there  was  so  dark  and 
indistinct  she  could  make  out  neither  colour  nor  shape. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         153 

It  glided  nearer  like  a  shadow.  The  water  dripped  in 
silvery  drops  from  the  oar-blades. 

A  rift  in  the  masses  of  clouds  let  the  moon's  pale 
light  illumine  the  shore.  Helga  stood  in  it  thinking  in- 
tently. Was  Leif  with  them?  That  would  be  an  al- 
most incomprehensible  happiness.  And  even  if  he  were, 
still  there  would  come  a  day  when  his  ship  would  return 
without  him,  or  his  people  would  come  some  winter  day 
carrying  him  on  a  bier,  and  there  would  be  blood  upon 
the  snow.  A  time  must  come  when  Leif  would  be  no 
more.  Then  she  must  die. 

Helga  stood  there  bathed  in  the  wan  light  of  the 
moon,  and  gave  herself  away  to  her  last  breath.  She 
embraced  Leif  with  her  soul,  alive  or  dead.  When  the 
ships  came  quite  near  she  stepped  quickly  into  the 
shadow  of  one  of  the  boat-houses.  She  would  see  if 
Leif  was  with  them  before  she  made  a  mistake. 

Rapidly  the  ships  approached,  rowed  by  long  oars, 
keeping  regular  time.  Yes,  the  foremost  was  Leif's 
dragon-ship.  Majestically  it  glided  over  the  water, 
and  there  —  yes,  there  on  the  poop  stood  Leif.  Ah, 
Leif!  Leif!  Helga  wept.  She  wept  and  was  happy. 
But  she  quickly  dried  her  eyes.  See  how  Leif  had  ex- 
erted himself.  He  wished  to  be  the  first  on  shore.  She 
could  hear  the  excited  tone  of  his  voice  when  he  gave 
the  order :  "  Inboard !  "  Leif  was  impatient  now ;  his 
movements  were  abrupt  and  hasty.  He  urged  on  his 
crew,  and  his  voice  became  sharp.  He  could  not  wait 
—  he  could  never  wait  the  last  moments.  Leif !  Leif ! 
He  did  not  guess  that  she  stood  there. 

Helga  did  not  go  out  of  the  shadow  and  down  to  the 


154         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

ship.  She  saw  the  crew  working  with  the  long  boat- 
hooks  and  pushing  the  landing-plank  out  over  the  ship's 
side.  She  could  just  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  man  who 
went  down  it.  And  then  came  Leif  running.  How  like 
him  i4-  was.  When  he  was  right  opposite  her,  she  went 
forward  to  meet  him.  Leif  started,  stopped,  and  stood. 
All  his  impetuosity  ceased. 

"  Could  you  not  see  me?  "  asked  Helga,  with  a  smile 
that  quivered.  She  felt  so  rich  and  happy,  and  came 
gradually  nearer.  Leif  was  not  in  a  condition  to  an- 
swer or  to  say  a  word  at  all.  He  stood  there,  and  that 
was  all  he  could  do.  He  could  not  even  collect  himself 
and  kiss  her.  Helga  came  slowly  close  up  to  him  and 
laid  her  arms  quietly  round  his  neck.  They  drank  a 
long  kiss  from  each  other's  mouths  till  their  lips  were 
sore. 

Leif  wished  to  say  something,  but  there  was  a  lump 
in  his  throat.  When  he  discovered  that,  he  began  to 
weep.  Helga  smiled  and  kissed  him  more  fervently. 
Her  fearless  Viking  was  only  a  long,  ungainly  boy  who 
wept.  He  stood  and  embraced  Helga  violently  but 
helplessly,  and  tears  ran  down  his  freckled,  weather- 
tanned  cheeks.  Helga  turned  gently  in  his  embrace.  He 
thought  she  wished  to  be  released,  and  let  her  go.  But 
Helga  did  not  wish  to  be  out  of  his  arms.  She  only 
wished  to  turn  so  that  they  might  walk  side  by  side. 
She  did  not  wish  that  any  one  should  find  them  there, 
and  led  him  away.  She  wanted  to  have  him  for  herself 
now  that  she  had  at  last  got  him  again  after  an  end- 
less summer.  And  Leif  let  her  have  her  way;  he  had 
forgotten  everything  else  except  that  he  had  her  again. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         155 

They  did  not  talk  much.  Only  some  hasty  questions 
and  quiet,  hasty  answers  were  exchanged  between  them. 
They  had,  as  it  were,  no  time  for  more  talk.  There  was 
silence  between  them  —  a  good  and  happy  silence. 
They  had  each  other. 

In  the  house  there  was  great  excitement.  Morning 
broke  on  an  apparently  hopeless  confusion  of  men  and 
women,  who  chatted  together,  kissed,  or  only  sent  each 
other  embarrassed  and  happy  glances.  There  were 
also  children  of  all  ages  who  jumped  and  sang  and 
quarrelled  together  in  little  private  combats,  and  men 
who  carried  loads  from  the  ships  to  the  house,  and  saun- 
tered back  again  in  knots,  talking  vigourously. 

Ingolf  went  quietly  to  and  fro  and  saw  that  the  work 
was  done.  The  ships  had  to  be  unloaded  and  the  goods 
carried  home  to  the  house,  and  it  was  best  to  get  it  done 
soon.  At  this  time  of  year  the  weather  and  the  sea  were 
not  to  be  relied  upon.  Ingolf  felt  a  sense  of  happiness 
and  confidence  at  being  home  again.  He  relaxed  a  little 
the  strict  discipline  which  he  generally  maintained  in  all 
work,  and  granted  each  man  sufficient  time  for  embrac- 
ing friends  and  for  confidential  talk.  But  if  any  one 
did  not  go  to  work  of  his  own  accord,  when  a  reasonable 
time  had  passed,  he  called  him  by  name  in  a  friendly 
way  and  aroused  him.  No  more  was  needed.  The 
work  went  on  vigourously.  The  men  wanted  it  done  as 
soon  as  possible.  Ingolf  had  promised  them  a  few  days' 
holiday  when  the  goods  were  in  the  house  and  the  ships 
in  the  sheds. 

Orn  came  out,  bent  and  aged,  blinking  with  inflamed 
eyes  in  the  garish  light  of  morning.  He  gave  such  an 


156         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

immense  yawn  that  his  shaggy  jaws  cracked  and 
shivered,  chilled  by  the  cold  autumnal  air.  Old  age  had 
come  upon  him,  bent  his  back,  and  gnawed  the  flesh  from 
his  limbs.  When  Ingolf  saw  him,  he  hastened  to  him. 
Now  that  he  saw  him  again,  after  not  having  had  him 
daily  befpre  his  eyes  for  several  months,  he  suddenly 
realized  how  old  and  decrepit  his  father  had  actually 
become,  and  was  seized  by  a  strong  feeling  of  sympathy. 
He  whispered  something  as  he  passed  in  a  man's  ear. 
The  man  smiled  and  nodded,  and  ran  down  to  the  ships. 
Then  Ingolf  hastened  to  his  father  and  greeted  him  with 
reverence  and  tenderness. 

The  old  man  was  always  on  his  guard  against  too 
much  friendliness.  Old  age  had  increased  his  mistrust 
of  people.  He  was  peevish  and  gruff.  He  returned 
his  son's  greeting  very  nonchalantly,  and  began  with 
noticeable  haste  to  question  him  concerning  purely 
practical  matters.  Had  he  all  the  ships  with  him? 
How  much  had  he  allowed  himself  to  be  cheated?  He 
had  not,  it  was  to  be  hoped,  brought  an  Irish  wife  home 
with  him?  How  many  of  his  men  had  fallen?  He  had 
probably  nothing  creditable  to  report? 

It  seemed  to  Ingolf  that  his  voice  had  become  remark- 
ably high-pitched  and  strident. 

And  when  Ingolf  had  answered,  the  old  man  repeated 
his  questions  time  after  time.  It  suddenly  occurred  to 
Ingolf  that  his  father  could  no  longer  hear  as  well  as 
before.  He  had  to  raise  his  voice,  and  he  found  it  try- 
ing and  embarrassing  to  have  to  change  it.  Orn 
noticed  the  change,  and  shouted :  "  Yes,  I  no  longer 
hear  so  well.  It  is  especially  this  ear  here  which  is 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         157 

affected.  But  it  is  worse  with  Rodmar!  He  is  alive 
still.  But  he  has  gone  blind !  "  Orn  laughed  with  a 
snort.  "That  is  still  worse!"  His  laughter  filled 
Ingolf  with  discomfort.  Then  Orn  suddenly  stopped 
laughing.  He  had  happened  to  cast  a  glance  down  to- 
wards the  ships.  Now  he  stood,  his  glance  became  fixed, 
and  his  eyes  widened.  Then  he  suddenly  began  to  count 
and  point  at  the  same  time  with  a  crooked  finger. 
"  One,  two,  three  .  .  ." 

When  he  had  counted  up  to  twenty,  he  broke  off 
and  said  to  Ingolf,  with  a  voice  trembling  with  joyful 
emotion:  "  How  many  are  there  altogether? "  In- 
golf smiled.  "  There  are  many,"  he  answered,  in  a 
friendly  tone.  "  I  took  care  that  you  should  not  want 
wine,  father." 

From  the  landing-place  below  there  came  a  long  line 
of  men  up  towards  the  house,  each  one  trundling  a 
barrel.  As  though  guided  by  his  sense  of  smell,  Rod- 
mar  came  at  the  same  moment  tottering  out  of  the 
house,  supported  on  two  sticks,  and  carefully  feeling 
his  way  forward  with  his  legs.  Orn  turned  towards 
him,  and  shouted  in  a  high  and  excited  voice :  "  Now 
the  barrels  of  red  wine  from  the  land  of  the  Franks  are 
coming  in  a  long  line  rolling  up  to  the  house,  Cousin 
Rodmar!" 

"  Ah,  my  eyes !  "  answered  Rodmar,  in  a  trembling 
and  weak  voice.  "  Gladly  would  I  have  seen  that  sight. 
But  keep  silent,  so  that  I  can  at  any  rate  hear  the  wine 
slopping  inside  the  barrels  !  " 

There  was  a  great  restlessness  in  Orn's  blood.  He 
took  short  steps,  and  could  not  stand  still.  With  his 


158         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

crooked  fingers  he  took  hold  of  Ingolf 's  cloak,  drew  him 
down  towards  him,  and  gave  him  a  hasty  kiss  on  his 
forehead.  Then  he  tottered  on  stiff  legs  up  to  Rod- 
mar  and  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder  with  a  trembling 
hand.  "  I  cannot  hear,  and  you  cannot  see,  cousin. 
But  let  us  thank  Odin  that  we  can  both  still  taste. 
Isn't  your  tongue  dry  with  knowing  that  there  is  so 
much  wine  close  by  ?  Mine  rolls  in  my  mouth  like  birch- 
bark." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  two  aged  kinsmen  sat  side 
by  side  in  the  high-seat  and  tasted  for  the  first  time 
the  red  wine  from  the  land  of  the  Franks,  which  they 
had  been  waiting  for  during  a  whole  long  summer. 
They  drank  the  wine  noisily,  let  it  fill  their  mouths, 
and  tasted  it  with  satisfaction. 

"  How  do  you  like  it?  "  asked  Orn  between  gulps. 
Rodmar  gave  himself  barely  time  to  answer.  "  It  tastes 
good,"  he  answered  hastily,  and  drank,  "  but  I  miss 
seeing  the  colour." 

"  Splash  a  little  in  your  eyes,  cousin,"  Orn  answered, 
and  laughed. 

There  they  sat,  and  became  very  cheerful  later  in  the 
day.  Long  before  the  sun  went  down  they  were  asleep, 
and  snoring  loudly.  Drink  had  come  to  Dalsf  jord. 

Not  till  towards  evening  did  Ingolf  find  Leif  and 
Helga.  Ingolf  embraced  Helga,  and  kissed  her  with 
much  tenderness.  "  Are  you  pleased  with  all  the  gifts, 
sister?  "  he  asked,  with  a  smile. 

Helga  loked  with  wide-open  eyes  first  at  him  and 
then  at  Leif.  Then  she  smiled  without  comprehension 
and  a  little  uncertainty.  Leif  looked  unhappy.  "  I 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         159 

quite  forgot  them,"  he  stammered,  blushing  and  embar- 
rassed. 

Ingolf  laughed  loud  and  heartily.  But  Helga  threw 
her  arms  round  Leif's  neck  and  kissed  him  tenderly  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  her  brother. 


There  was  a  chief  and  Viking  named  Olmod  the  Old, 
son  of  Horda-Kaare.  He  was  a  kinsman  of  Leif. 

Olmod  the  Old  was  popular  with  all.  He  was  a  wise 
man,  quiet  and  circumspect,  a  warrior  in  battle  and  a 
hero  where  drinking-horns  were  emptied.  No  one 
would  have  guessed  that  Olmod  the  Old  concealed  a 
great  restlessness  under  the  mask  of  quiet  and  imper- 
turbability which  he  outwardly  wore.  He  talked  will- 
ingly, and  had  a  flow  of  cheerful  conversation,  but  was 
not  lavish  with  his  confidence.  All  thought  that  they 
knew  his  mind,  but  no  one  did. 

Olmod  the  Old  seldom  remained  long  in  one  place. 
In  the  summer  he  went  on  Viking  expeditions ;  in  winter 
he  was  a  guest  in  various  places.  He  had  many  friends, 
and  wherever  he  stayed  he  brought  cheerfulness  with 
him. 

He  was  very  fond  of  his  kinsman,  Leif,  whose  charac- 
ter resembled  his  own.  It  was  a  significant  fact  about 
Olmod  that  Leif  was  unaware  that  he  possessed  a  friend 
in  him.  Leif  would  have  been  rather  inclined  to  believe 
the  opposite.  Olmod  seldom  talked  to  him,  gave  him 
no  presents,  did  not  show  him  favour  or  friendship  in 


160         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

any  degree.  But  in  secret  Olmod  kept  an  eye  on  his 
kinsman,  Leif,  and  knew  all  about  his  affairs. 

That  winter  Olmod  visited  Atle  Jarl  at  Gaulum.  In 
doing  so  he  fulfilled  an  old  promise.  He  knew  that 
Leif  and  Ingolf  had  been  on  a  Viking  expedition  with 
Atle's  sons  the  previous  summer.  It  had  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  knew  Atle's  sons  too  little. 

During  his  visit  to  Gaulum,  Olmod  gave  such  close 
attention  to  Atle's  sons  that  he  actually  came  to  over- 
hear a  conversation  between  Haersten  and  Holmsten 
which  they  did  not  intend  him  or  any  one  else  to  hear. 

"  I  hear  that  Helga  and  Leif  are  fond  of  each  other," 
said  Haersten. 

"  That  sounds  hard  to  believe,"  answered  Holmsten. 

"  Women's  taste  is  often  strange,"  continued  Haer- 
sten. "  Did  you  see,  also,  brother,  that  Leif  threw  a 
spear  overboard  at  Hisargavl?  " 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  that  before?  " 

"  Because  it  has  only  just  occurred  to  me  that  Leif 
regretted  the  use  he  had  once  made  of  that  spear." 

"  With  my  good  will  I  shall  not  give  Leif  reason  to 
deprive  himself  of  many  more  weapons,"  said  Holmsten 
gloomily.  "  It  would  be  rather  after  my  mind  to  take 
care  that  he  finds  full  use  for  all  his  weapons." 

Olmod  had  heard  enough.  Now  he  knew  what  Leif's 
friends  were.  Shortly  after  overhearing  this  conversa- 
tion he  departed.  He  directed  his  way  towards  Orn's 
house,  and  was  welcomed  by  Orn  and  the  brothers. 
When  he  had  stayed  a  week  in  the  house,  he  prepared 
to  go  farther.  Before  doing  so,  he  talked  confidentially 
with  Ingolf. 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS         161 

"  Don't  take  it  ill  if  I  mix  in  your  affairs,  Ingolf.  I 
begin  to  get  old,  and  old  men  are  talkative.  I  only 
wish  to  remind  you  that  Atle's  sons,  whom  you  and 
Leif  have  invited  to  the  feast  this  winter,  are  powerful 
chiefs,  and  that  it  will  be  advisable  for  you  to  show  them 
all  possible  honour  —  among  other  things,  by  inviting 
as  many  of  your  kinsfolk  and  friends  to  the  feast  as 
you  can."  Ingolf  remained  silent  after  Olmod  had 
spoken.  He  looked  attentively  at  him.  Olmod  met  his 
look  with  a  smile.  His  smile  was  quiet  and  experienced. 
Ingolf  became  suddenly  aware  that  he  had  more  than  a 
guest  in  Olmod. 

"  You  come  from  Gaulum,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone  and 
thoughtfully.  "  Is  that  your  advice  ?  " 

"  That  is  my  advice,"  answered  Olmod,  with  a  firm- 
ness in  his  voice  which  left  no  doubt  as  to  his  serious- 
ness. And  he  added,  as  though  casually :  "  Haasten 
is  only  one  of  Atle's  sons." 

"  Have  you  talked  with  Leif  on  this  subject?  "  In- 
golf asked  suddenly. 

Olmod  the  Old  said  only :  "  I  know  my  kinsman, 
Leif.  And  I  know  you,  too,  Ingolf." 

Ingolf  gave  Olmod  some  handsome  presents  on  his 
departure  and  escorted  him  part  of  the  way. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  month  of  Goi,  Atle's  sons  came 
with  a  large  retinue  to  Orn's  house.  Ingolf  had  fol- 
lowed Olmod  the  Old's  advice,  and  invited  a  large  circle  of 
his  own  and  Leif's  friends  to  the  feast  for  Atle's  sons. 
When  Haasten  saw  how  many  were  invited  to  the  feast, 
he  said  to  Ingolf,  with  a  smile :  "  We  sons  of  Atle  are 
not  accustomed  to  receive  our  friends  with  such  a  great 


162         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

force."  Ingolf  looked  at  him  and  answered  seriously: 
"  One  can  never  show  one's  friends  too  great  an  honour, 
Haasten." 

Haasten  became  silent  and  thoughtful.  Involun- 
tarily he  looked  at  his  brothers.  They  stood,  there 
talking  confidentially  together.  There  was  something 
in  their  bearing  which  made  Haasten  uneasy.  He  no- 
ticed also  that  Ingolf  was  watching  his  brothers. 
Haersten  and  Holmsten  had  withdrawn  themselves  from 
the  rest,  and  stood  whispering  together. 

"  We  have  never  been  received  in  such  a  magnificent 
way  here  before,"  said  Haersten,  with  a  smile.  "  There 
must  be  something  behind  it." 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised,"  answered  Holmsten,  "  if 
Olmod  the  Old  had  been  here.  Where  did  he  go  to 
when  he  left  us?  It  occurs  to  me  all  at  once  that  his 
bearing  was  different  when  he  left  than  when  he  came." 

"What  can  Olmod  the  Old  have  told  any  here?" 
asked  Haersten  thoughtfully. 

"  Something  which  he  possibly  heard,"  replied  Holm- 
sten dryly. 

"  What  will  you  do  now,  brother?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  But  some  time  Leif  shall  come  to 
miss  the  spear  which  he  threw  overboard  at  Hisargavl !  " 

Orn  became  quite  another  man  as  soon  as  guests  came 
to  the  house.  He  livened  up  and  became  young  again. 
He  did  not  gulp  down  his  wine,  but  drank  deep  and  was 
none  the  worse  for  it.  He  was  still  capable  of  filling  the 
high-seat  with  dignity  and  of  presiding  over  a  festival. 

Rodmar,  on  the  other  hand,  preferred  to  remain  in 
bed  when  anything  unusual  was  going  on.  The  restless- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         163 

ness  which  the  sound  of  many  voices  produced  in  his 
state  of  blindness  made  him  unwell.  When  he  could 
not  sit  quite  peacefully  with  Orn  he  liked  best  to  be 
alone  with  his  wine. 

Orn  beckoned  Haasten  to  a  place  beside  him  on  the 
high-seat.  Outside  it  he  seated  the  other  sons  of  Atle 
and  the  sworn  brothers,  and  then  the  remaining  guests 
according  to  their  age  and  rank.  When  the  guests  had 
taken  their  seats  the  hall  was  completely  filled.  Orn 
set  great  store  by  such  feasts.  He  liked  sitting  as 
chief  in  his  hall.  He  stinted  neither  food  nor  drink. 
It  filled  him  with  inward  satisfaction  to  see  people  eat 
and  drink  and  be  merry. 

He  became  cheerful  and  resumed  something  of  his  old 
dignity. 

The  fire  burnt  pleasantly  on  the  flat  stone  of  the 
hearth.  When  the  guests  at  last  were  satisfied,  the 
bowls  and  wooden  dishes  were  carried  out,  and  the  real 
drinking  festival  began.  The  youngest  and  handsomest 
women  in  the  house  went  about  in  festal  attire  and 
poured  out  beer.  Among  them  was  Helga.  She 
servec  at  the  high  table.  Holmsten's  eyes  followed  her 
wherever  she  went  and  stood.  He  had  never  shown  his 
liking  for  her  so  openly. 

Helga  could  not  help  noticing  his  persistent  gaze.  It 
made  her  afraid.  She  would  rather  have  remained 
away  from  the  hall,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  she  dared 
not  leave  Leif  out  of  her  sight.  Leif  sat  with  his  mouth 
compressed  and  a  gloomy  expression  in  his  eyes,  and 
drank  but  little.  That  was  not  his  usual  way  at  a 
feast;  he  was  accustomed  to  drink  rather  too  much 


164         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

than  too  little.  Only  seldom  did  Helga  succeed  in 
catching  his  eye.  He  did  not  return  her  smile.  She 
went  to  and  fro  in  great  alarm.  She  took  care  never 
to  look  at  Holmsten,  and  she  did  not  smile  at  him  as  at 
the  others  when  she  filled  his  horn. 

Holmsten  pretended  not  to  notice  it.  His  eye  glowed 
with  the  same  warmth,  and  his  look  followed  her  with 
the  same  persistence  about  the  hall. 

Orn  proposed  the  toasts  to  the  gods.  He  was  still 
equal  to  emptying  horns  in  their  honour.  When  he 
proposed  the  toast  of  Brage,  Holmsten  rose  and  struck 
on  his  horn.  "  It  is  the  custom  of  high-born  men,"  he 
said  in  a  loud  and  cheerful  voice,  "  to  make  vows  when 
Brage's  toast  is  called.  I  have  a  vow  to  make  which  I 
will  beg  you  kind  friends  to  witness." 

Holmsten  stopped  and  looked  round  him.  He  caught 
a  warning  and  slightly  anxious  look  from  his  brother, 
Haasten.  He  saw  Leif's  bowed  head  and  caught  a 
glimpse  of  his  serious  face;  he  saw  Ingolf's  face  grow 
rigid  with  quiet  expectation.  And  he  saw  Helga  stand- 
ing anxious  and  uncertain  and  looking  at  Leif. 

Holmsten  smiled.  For  a  while  he  stood  with  his 
burning  gaze  fixed  upon  Helga,  as  though  waiting  to 
catch  her  eye.  Then  he  lifted  his  horn  and  said  in 
loud  tones :  "  I  make  this  vow  with  Brage's  toast,  that 
I  will  marry  Helga,  daughter  of  Orn,  or  no  other 
woman."  There  was  silence  in  the  hall.  Helga  re- 
mained standing  still  for  a  while.  She  looked  intently 
at  Leif,  and  saw  the  blood  mount  to  his  face  and  his 
shaking  fingers  grip  the  foot  of  the  horn.  When  she 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         165 

saw  that  he  would  succeed  in  controlling  himself,  she 
silently  left  the  hall,  her  face  very  pale. 

Haasten  had  sprung  up  from  his  place  when  Hohn- 
sten  made  his  vow,  but  had  sat  down  again  without  say- 
ing anything.  Ingolf  sat  with  a  smile  on  his  face  but  a 
look  in  his  blue  eyes  that  was  as  sharp  as  a  knife.  Orn 
smiled  graciously  at  Holmsten,  and  Haersten  laughed 
contentedly. 

At  last  Leif  looked  up.  There  was  a  hard  and  hostile 
look  in  his  usually  cheerful  eyes.  He  looked  slowly 
round,  and  let  his  glance  dwell  for  a  while  on  each  of 
Atle's  sons,  and  finally  on  his  sworn  brother,  Ingolf,  as 
if  he  were  considering  him  especially.  He  looked  almost 
as  if  he  would  not  be  sorry  to  encounter  them  all  at  once 
should  that  be  necessary.  To  Orn  he  only  vouchsafed 
a  hasty  and  contemptuous  glance. 

Holmsten  quite  understood  the  effect  his  words  had 
produced  on  each  of  those  whom  his  speech  concerned. 
He  looked  round  with  composure  and  continued  cheer- 
fully :  "  Now  I  have  begun  this  game.  Now  it  is  your 
turn,  friend  Ingolf." 

Ingolf  gave  no  sign  of  rising.  He  turned  his  face 
towards  Haasten  and  said  in  a  quiet  and  firm  voice 
which  was  heard  over  the  whole  hall :  "  It  seems  to  me 
it  is  now  Haasten's  turn  to  continue  the  game.  He  is 
our  leader,  and  the  wisest  of  us  all  besides."1 

Haasten  met  his  look  and  rose  slowly.  He  did  not 
find  words  at  first,  and  remained  standing  silent  for  a 
while,  looking  down.  A  hush  of  expectation  spread  in 
the  hall.  When  Haasten  at  last  spoke  his  voice  was 


i66         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 
quiet  and  troubled.     "  I  make  the  vow,"  he  said,  "  that 
I  will  judge  justly  and  impartially,  if  a  judgment  should 
ever  be  demanded  from  me." 

Haasten  sat  down  with  a  melancholy  air  after  speak- 
ing. Holmsten  said  cheerfully :  "  Your  obscure  vow 
does  not  seem  to  me  to  bear  out  the  assertion  that  you 
are  the  wisest  of  us  all.  How  will  you  act,  if  it  is  be- 
tween your  friends  on  one  side  and  your  enemies  on  the 
other  that  you  must  pronounce  judgment?  " 

Haasten  answered  in  a  severe  and  discouraging  tone : 
"  That  I  intend  myself  to  determine." 

Ingolf  rose.  He  smiled  no  longer;  his  look  was  seri- 
ous and  his  tone  firm  and  quiet.  "  With  Brage's  toast 
I  make  the  vow  that  I  will  not  divide  my  inheritance 
with  any  one  but  my  sworn  brother,  Leif.  May  all 
bright  gods  and  all  good  people  present  hear  it." 
When  Orn  had  heard  that  vow,  he  rose  with  some  diffi- 
culty. Suddenly  he  seemed  very  old.  The  look  which 
he  cast  at  Ingolf  was  not  friendly.  In  gloomy  silence 
he  left  the  haU. 

Holmsten  was  still  cheerful.  "  I  don't  understand 
that  vow,"  he  said,  and  laughed. 

"  It  is  not  difficult  to  understand,"  answered  Haasten 
severely.  "  Ingolf  will  give  his  sister,  Helga,  to  Leif, 
and  no  one  else." 

Holmsten  laughed  incredulously,  and  looked  at  Leif 
in  challenge. 

Leif  rose  awkwardly  with  a  jerk,  and  stood  erect. 
"  I  make  the  vow,"  he  said  in  a  voice  that  shook  with 
suppressed  anger  and  emotion,  "  to  show  that  in  noth- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         167 

ing  do  I  stand  behind  my  ancestors  and  other  good  men 
of  my  race !  " 

"  That  may  be  an  easy  vow  to  keep,"  shouted  Haer- 
sten.  "  Have  you  forgotten  that  your  grandfather  had 
to  leave  Telemarken  like  a  criminal?  " 

Leif  met  Ingolf 's  look  and  controlled  himself.  Ingolf 
rose  slowly.  He  was  just  as  quiet  as  before,  but  those 
who  knew  him  could  see  that  now  he  was  angry.  He 
directed  his  words  to  Haasten.  "  When  I  invited  you, 
Atle's  sons,  to  this  feast,  I  believed  that  you  were  my 
own  and  my  brother  Leif's  sincere  friends.  From  what 
has  happened  here  this  evening,  and  from  the  words 
which  have  fallen,  I  can  see  that  I  have  made  a  mistake 
—  not  as  far  as  concerns  you,  Haasten,  but  your 
brothers.  Holmsten  has  done  us  a  doubtful  honour. 
His  whole  behaviour  does  not  show  exactly  such  an  atti- 
tude towards  us  brothers  that  I  should  like  to  have  him 
as  a  brother-in-law  —  even  if  no  one  else  were  in  the 
way.  As  regards  Haersten,  he  has  spoken  insulting 
words  against  my  family  here  in  the  hall.  You,  Haas- 
ten,  will  always  be  welcome  in  the  place  which  you  now 
occupy  as  my  guest  and  friend.  But  your  brothers  I 
cannot  ask  to  remain.  Only  with  my  friends  will  I 
continue  this  feast." 

Haersten  and  Holmsten  had  sprung  up  from  their 
places.  Haasten  also  rose.  "  I  had  no  share  in,  and 
could  not  prevent,  what  has  happened  this  evening,"  he 
said  quietly,  and  in  a  tone  of  sadness,  "  otherwise  it 
would  not  have  happened.  But  I  cannot  remain  here 
as  your  guest,  Ingolf,  when  you  send  my  brothers 


168         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

away.     We,  Atle's  sons,  have  always  kept  together." 
When  he  had  spoken,  he  left  the  hall  silently,  followed 
by  his  brothers  and  all  their  retinue.     But  no  one  else 
followed  them  on  the  way. 

When  they  had  gone,  Ingolf  set  guards  on  all  the 
roads.  He  wished  to  be  prepared,  in  case  any  more 
surprises  awaited  him  on  the  part  of  Atle's  sons.  It 
had  become  clear  to  him  now  that  Haasten  had  no 
longer  such  complete  power  over  his  brothers  as  before. 
Ingolf  was  depressed  in  spirits.  That  which  he  had 
long  feared  had  happened  at  last.  But  this  breach  with 
Atle's  sons  had  come  in  another  way  than  he  had 
thought.  He  had  expected  that  Leif  would  be  a  direct 
cause  of  it,  not,  as  now  appeared,  an  indirect  one.  Leif 
had  surprised  him  by  his  self-controlling  bearing.  Now 
he  knew  he  had  a  brother  in  Leif  he  could  completely 
rely  on.  Ingolf  guessed  that  it  was  not  the  first  time 
that  Leif  for  his  sake  had  controlled  himself  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Atle's  sons.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  could 
not  betray  Leif.  He  must  stand  by  his  side  anywhere, 
and  against  any  one  —  even  against  Haasten,  if  neces- 
sary. Ingolf  observed,  to  his  wonder,  that  he  did  not 
really  miss  Atle's  sons,  now  that  he  was  confronted  by  a 
breach  with  them.  He  had  Leif ;  he  had  on  his  side  only 
one  man.  But  that  was  a  man  he  could  rely  upon,  and 
knew  that  he  could.  Ingolf  felt  himself  in  some  degree 
richer  than  before. 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS         169 

VI 

For  some  days  after  the  feast,  which  had  been  so 
abruptly  broken  off,  Orn  did  not  speak  to  any  one.  A 
cloud  hung  over  his  face.  His  look  was  like  that  of  a 
mad  bull.  He  ignored  Ingolf  entirely ;  and  if  Ingolf 
tried  to  talk  to  him,  he  paid  no  more  attention  to  what 
he  said  than  to  a  breath  of  wind.  Even  the  blind  Rod- 
mar  spoke  in  vain  to  his  kinsman.  To  Rodmar  it 
seemed  that  the  world  had  become  very  strange.  Did 
Orn  not  hear  when  he  spoke  to  him?  Had  he  become 
deaf,  or  perhaps  dumb  also?  He  gave  up  trying  to 
make  it  out.  He  did  not  like  trouble  of  any  kind  any 
more.  There  was  always  the  resource  of  lying  in  bed 
and  having  wine  brought.  Rodmar  retired  deeper  into 
his  darkness  and  drank  himself  into  a  state  of  stupor 
and  oblivion.  When  Orn  had  carried  about  his  fit  of 
wrath  in  solitude  long  enough,  he  began  to  get  tired. 
Wrath  also  disturbed  his  intoxication.  He  did  not  find 
the  same  happiness  in  wine  as  before.  He  considered 
the  matter  closely,  and  found  a  new  standpoint  to  view 
it  from  —  a  more  manly  and  less  troublesome  one. 

He  sent  for  Ingolf.  "  I  understand  well,"  he  began 
in  a  harsh  but  not  unfriendly  tone,  "  that  you  do  not 
wish  to  let  yourself  be  cowed  by  Atle's  sons.  I  have 
considered  the  matter,  and  I  must  confess  that  it  was  a 
very  challenging  way  that  Holmsten  chose  in  which  to 
appear  as  a  suitor.  It  was,  however,  impossible  for 
him  to  know  whether  Helga  had  been  already  promised 
in  marriage,  and  how  far  his  vows  might  cross  our  plans. 


170         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

I  think  that  the  answer  you  gave  him  was  good,  and  be- 
coming a  chieftain.  We  of  our  race  can  afford  to 
marry  our  children  to  whom  we  like.  We  certainly  do 
not  need  to  trouble  about  marriage  with  Jarl's  sons.  It 
has  pleased  me  to  see  that  you  are  not  afraid  to  give 
even  such  people  as  Atle's  sons  the  rough  side  of  your 
tongue.  I  do  not  deny  that  till  lately  it  was  my  idea 
that  a  marriage  connection  with  them  would  be  an 
honour  for  our  family.  But  now  I  see  that  it  is  no  less 
honour  for  the  family  to  refuse  such  a  connection. 
That  shows  to  all  and  each  that  we  reckon  ourselves  at 
least  equal  to  Jarls.  You  are  wise,  my  boy.  You  may 
go." 

It  was  a  long  time  since  Orn  had  spoken  so  gently  to 
his  son.  Ingolf  went  about  the  rest  of  the  day  smiling 
now  and  then  to  himself.  He  felt  a  great  relief.  His 
father's  attitude  had  pained  him  more  than  he  had  been 
willing  to  admit  to  himself. 

After  his  conversation  with  Ingolf,  Orn  went  to  Rod- 
mar,  who  was  very  glad  to  observe  that  he  had  not  be- 
come dumb  or  deaf.  A  joyous  time  recommenced  for 
the  two  kinsmen.  They  drank  copiously  of  the  red 
wine,  and  boasted  more  than  ever.  It  became  to  them  a 
source  of  much  arrogance  that  hostility  had  broken  out 
between  their  sons  and  Atle  Jarl's.  They  even  took 
Leif  into  favour,  and  willingly  listened  to  his  account 
of  his  exploits  in  the  Viking  expedition  of  the  previous 
summer.  Leif  was  in  their  eyes  still  a  little,  loose- 
minded  fellow,  but  at  any  rate  a  man.  One  could  ac- 
knowledge him  both  as  a  son  and  a  son-in-law.  He  had 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         171 

split  various  heads,  and  saved  Holmsten's  life.  There 
one  had  a  proof  that  even  the  worst  good-for-nothings 
could  become  something  if  only  they  had  good  folk  to 
look  up  to. 

Leif  was  ungracious  enough  to  care  for  their  praise 
no  more  than  he  had  cared  for  their  blame.  But  they 
behaved  magnanimously  to  him  in  that  respect.  They 
excused  him  by  recollecting  youth's  general  want  of 
proper  respect  for  age. 

When  spring  aproached,  the  old  uneasiness  came  over 
Leif.  He  became  very  restless,  and  his  eyes  took  an 
absent  expression.  One  day  he  went  down  to  the  boat- 
houses  and  began  to  inspect  his  ships.  As  he  did  so,  it 
suddenly  came  into  his  mind  that  during  the  last  part 
of  the  winter  Ingolf  had  not  troubled  himself  at  all 
about  goods  for  the  summer's  Viking  expedition.  It 
was  not  like  Ingolf  to  forget  a  thing  of  that  kind. 

Without  delay  he  sought  Ingolf  and  began  to  speak 
on  the  subject.  Ingolf  stood  and  looked  attentively  at 
him  while  he  spoke.  When  he  had  finished,  Ingolf  an- 
swered with  composure :  "  It  seems  to  me,  Cousin  Leif, 
that  it  would  be  better  for  us  to  remain  at  home  in  our 
house  during  the  summer  than  to  sail  out  on  a  Viking 
expedition.  Do  you  remember  the  vows  which  were 
made  here  in  the  winter  at  the  feast  we  gave  to  Atle's 
sons?" 

"  The  vows  were  not  of  the  kind  to  be  hastily 
forgotten,"  answered  Leif,  and  looked  in  his  brother's 
eyes.  "  You  are,  I  suppose,  not  afraid  of  meeting 
Atle's  sons  on  the  sea  ?  " 


172         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  I  am  not  afraid,"  answered  Ingolf,  in  a  sharper 
tone ;  "  but  I  would  rather  avoid  hostility  with  Atle's 
sons." 

Leif  stood  and  looked  down  gloomily.  When  he  had 
considered  a  little  he  said :  "  Atle's  sons  could  easily 
suppose  that  we  were  afraid  if,  after  what  happened 
here  in  the  winter,  we  gave  up  the  Viking  expeditions  we 
had  planned  for  the  summer.  I  do  not  intend  to  give 
Holmsten  reason  to  call  me  afraid.  Do  you,  brother, 
decide  for  yourself  what  you  will  do.  I  shall  go." 

Ingolf  was  silent  and  considered  the  matter.  He  was 
in  great  perplexity.  He  hardly  dared  to  let  Leif  go. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  dared  not  hinder  him  either.  He 
knew  well  that  when  Leif  had  once  got  restless  he  must 
get  away.  For  himself,  he  did  not  like  to  run  the  risk  of 
meeting  Atle's  sons.  He  had  a  presentiment  that  a 
collision  was  inevitable  if  their  way  crossed  that  of  his 
brother.  And  in  any  case  he  wished  to  avoid  lifting 
hand  against  Haasten.  But  the  reason  which  especially 
kept  him  at  home  was,  that  he  no  longer  trusted  Haer- 
sten  and  Holmsten.  If  both  he  and  Leif  went  away, 
they  might  both  use  the  opportunity  to  carry  off  Helga. 
On  such  an  occasion  both  his  father  and  Rodmar  might 
easily  lose  their  lives,  or  be  exposed  to  indignities  which 
he  would  have  to  avenge.  When  Ingolf  had  come  to  a 
conclusion,  he  said :  "  I  do  not  wish  as  matters  now 
stand  to  leave  our  family  and  property  without  some- 
one to  look  after  them.  I  will  no  longer  prevent  your 
going  since  you  have  set  your  mind  upon  it.  But  it  will 
cause  me  great  anxiety  to  know  that  you  are  out  on  a 
Viking  expedition  with  only  three  ships.  For  I  cannot 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         173 

spare  more  men  away  from  home.  You  may  encounter 
Atle's  sons,  you  may  meet  other  hostile  Vikings,  or  you 
may  through  want  of  foresight  get  involved  in  an  un- 
equal battle.  I  would  rather,  therefore,  that  you 
stayed  at  home,  Cousin  Leif.  But  if  you  will  promise 
me  not  under  any  circumstances  to  engage  in  an  un- 
equal battle,  as  far  as  it  is  in  your  power  to  avoid  it, 
I  will  not  oppose  your  going." 

Leif  promised  that  willingly.  He  never  thought 
about  promises.  He  grasped  Ingolf's  outstretched 
hand  and  said :  "  I  promise  you  to  proceed  cautiously. 
If  I  meet  with  danger  or  superior  force,  I  will  escape  as 
well  as  I  can.  You  need  not  be  uneasy  for  my  sake, 
brother." 

Ingolf  remembered  that  Leif  had  kept  his  word  with 
regard  to  Atle's  sons.  There  was  no  longer  any  reason 
not  to  put  full  trust  in  Leif's  promises,  even  if,  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  whole  character,  they  were  given  a 
little  hastily,  and  apparently  without  thought.  And 
if  only  Leif  kept  his  promise,  there  was  no  special  reason 
to  be  anxious  about  him.  In  a  battle  which  was  not  too 
unequal,  he  was  safe  enough,  unless  the  Norns  had  des- 
tined his  death,  or  Odin  had  marked  him  out.  For 
against  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  fate  the  best  man 
fought  in  vain.  When  the  matter  had  been  thus  de- 
cided, Leif  began  seriously  to  prepare  for  the  journey. 
The  goods  which  Ingolf  had  collected  at  the  beginning 
of  winter  completely  filled  three  ships.  All  that  re- 
mained was  to  select  the  crews  and  to  take  care  to  keep 
the  ships  fit  for  sailing. 

When  Leif  told  Helga  that  he  was  going,  she  merely 


174         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

nodded  assentingly  and  smiled  at  him.  But  her  quiver- 
ing smile  concealed  bitter  grief  and  great  anxiety. 
Helga  knew  Leif  —  ah!  she  knew  him.  This  Leif  of 
hers  was  a  man  whom  no  bond  could  hold.  That  was 
his  character.  And  she  did  not  wish  to  spoil  his  happi- 
ness by  seeking  to  hold  him  fast.  Never  should  he  guess 
what  she  suffered  when  she  saw  him  sail  away.  Never 
would  she  mention  her  sense  of  loss  and  the  anxiety  she 
suffered  during  the  time  she  must  be  without  him.  Sep- 
aration and  longing  were  integral  parts  of  the  happi- 
ness she  shared  with  Leif.  So  young  Helga  smiled 
bravely  and  helped  Leif  with  his  preparations  for  the 
journey,  giving  him  cheerful  words  on  the  way.  But 
she  never  showed  him  her  anxiety,  and  concealed  her 
grief  till  she  was  alone. 

One  day  in  spring,  when  the  wind  blew  freshly  over  the 
fjord,  Leif  sailed  away  with  three  ships.  He  stood  on 
the  poop  and  wondered  1;hat  he  had  never  thought  before 
how  hard  it  would  be  to  part  from  Helga. 

His  old  countryman  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder  and 
said :  "  On  a  voyage  it  is  best  to  keep  the  salt  water 
outside  the  ship." 

Leif  smiled  with  a  wry  face.  His  heart  had  not  yet 
been  hardened.  Helga  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  shore 
and  saw  the  striped  sails  bellying  in  the  breeze.  The 
ships  lay  slanting  on  the  water.  They  glided  along  as 
if  in  play,  and  became  so  quickly  smaller. 

Helga  stood  alone  on  the  shore.  All  the  others  who 
had  been  down  to  bid  farewell  to  those  departing  had 
gone  back  again  to  the  house.  Helga  stood  there  alone 
with  the  breeze.  Everything  was  green  and  cheerful 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         175 

around  her.  Trees  stood  covered  with  new  leaves,  and 
flowers  grew  again  from  the  ground.  And  there  sailed 
Leif,  taking  the  summer  away  with  him. 

When  Helga  could  not  see  the  ships  any  more,  she  at 
last  gave  up.  Helplessly  she  let  herself  drop  down  on 
the  young  grass.  All  power  had  suddenly  left  her. 
She  could  not  even  weep.  She  remained  lying  there 
long  with  her  heart  beating  violently. 

The  day  after  Leif  had  sailed,  Olmod  the  Old  landed 
at  Orn's  house.  He  had  five  ships,  and  was  on  a  Viking 
expedition.  He  was  able  to  inform  Ingolf  that  of  Atle's 
sons  Haasten  was  remaining  at  home  that  summer.  He 
further  said  that  he  had  heard  that  Leif  was  going  alone 
that  summer,  and  he  wished  to  have  joined  him.  When 
he  heard  that  Leif  had  already  sailed  he  hastened  to  go 
on,  wishing  to  overtake  him. 

That  spring  came  young  King  Harald  sailing  north 
along  the  coast.  He  had  made  a  vow  not  to  let  his  hair 
be  cut  till  he  had  reduced  the  whole  of  Norway  to  sub- 
mission, and  was  therefore  by  some  called  Harald  Luva, 
and  by  others  Harald  Haarfager.  Whatever  part  of 
the  country  he  came  across,  he  called  his  own.  Kings 
and  chiefs  had  to  submit  with  a  good  or  with  a  bad 
grace.  All  men  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  became 
his  tributaries.  He  made  laws,  and  appointed  chiefs 
over  districts  to  take  care  that  the  laws  were  obeyed. 
Harald  met  with  no  opposition  either  in  the  hills  or  the 
fjords.  All  the  Jarls  became  his  subjects. 

But  there  were  other  chiefs  who  murmured,  and  con- 
sidered that  Harald  paid  scant  respect  to  the  law  and 
ancient  land-rights.  These  Harald  dealt  with  hardly. 


176         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

He  killed  them  when  he  could  lay  hold  of  them,  and  took 
from  them  their  property  without  mercy.  Many  of 
these  chiefs  had  no  other  resources,  if  they  wished  to 
preserve  their  lives  and  freedom,  but  to  leave  the  coun- 
try. They  sailed  in  numbers  for  the  Faroe  Islands,  the 
Orkneys,  Hjaltland,  the  Southern  Islands,  together 
with  the  British  Isles  and  Ireland. 

King  Harald  found  many  a  Norwegian  neck  that 
preferred  to  be  broken  rather  than  bend.  Although 
himself  the  most  obstinate  of  all,  he  would  not  endure 
obstinacy  in  others.  There  was  but  one  King  of  Nor- 
way, and  that  King's  name  was  Harald! 


VII 

Leif  had  not  sailed  long  before  a  great  quiet  came 
over  him.  Alone  with  the  sea,  and  his  own  master! 
No  one  to  obey !  No  one  to  consider !  That  was  some- 
thing to  his  taste,  and  under  such  circumstances  there 
was  no  room  in  his  heart  for  care  and  longing.  Suc- 
cessive days  awoke  him,  each  with  its  own  voice.  Hun- 
gry in  soul  and  body  he  crept  each  morning  out  of  his 
sleeping-bag. 

It  suited  his  plans  to  sail  to  the  British  Isles ;  accord- 
ingly he  was  on  his  way  thither.  Otherwise  he  might 
have  sailed  to  the  land  far  toward  the  west  which  a 
beggar  had  once  told  him  of.  The  only  objection  was 
that,  according  to  the  narrator,  there  were  no  people  to 
trade  with  there  and  no  one  to  pillage.  He  was  out  on 
a  trading  and  Viking  expedition.  Besides,  it  was  an  ab- 


THE  SWORN  BROTHERS  177 
surd  country,  so  entirely  without  inhabitants.  If  ever 
he  had  time  and  opportunity  he  might  still  wish  to  take 
a  closer  view  of  it.  "  Iceland,"  the  beggar  had  called 
it,  and  had  prophesied  that  he  should  some  day  see  it. 
He  wished  to  be  certain  about  it,  but  it  lay  so  far  out 
of  the  way  that  he  could  not  well  include  it  in  his  voyage 
that  summer. 

If  he  did,  he  ran  the  risk  of  being  obliged  to  spend  the 
winter  there.  And  he  could  not  endure  the  idea  of  a 
whole  winter  without  Helga.  But  he  emphasized  the 
fact  to  himself  that  if  he  now  let  Iceland  alone,  it  was 
an  act  of  his  own  free  will. 

The  land  out  there  in  the  west  would  not  run  away, 
so  whether  one  went  there  a  summer  earlier  or  later  was 
a  point  of  minor  importance.  Leif,  now  voyaging 
alone,  came  to  be  quite  intimate  with  the  sea.  He  en- 
joyed standing  at  the  helm  and  feeling  the  ship  under  his 
hand.  He  liked  best  sailing  with  all  sails  spread,  and 
cutting  his  way  through  the  water  as  it  foamed.  It  was 
to  him  a  great  delight  to  sail  in  such  a  way  that  even  old 
and  experienced  Vikings  opened  watchful  eyes.  He  tor- 
tured his  dragon-ship  till  it  seemed  to  him  the  sea  held 
its  breath,  ready  to  close  its  foaming  jaws  round  its 
prey.  When  he  thus  kept  his  ship  rocking  right  on 
the  edge  of  destruction,  clutching  the  quivering  tiller 
fast  in  his  thin  hand,  his  heart  felt  light  in  his  breast. 
He  felt  himself  like  a  ruler  over  the  sea. 

The  old  Vikings  watched  Leif  closely,  and  found  that 
they  had  in  him  a  guide  after  their  own  heart.  They 
winked  admiringly  at  each  other  when  he  sailed  his 
maddest.  His  reckless  courage  filled  them  with  expecta- 


178         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

tion.  They  showed  great  willingness  in  obeying  his 
wishes  and  orders.  His  young  voice  sounded  sharply 
and  pleasantly  in  their  ears. 

They  took  Leif's  measure  secretly  and  thoroughly 
approved  of  him.  Though  he  was  not  so  strong  in 
body  as  warriors  generally  were,  yet  men  with  such 
restless  eyes  were  rare.  And  the  strength  he  had  lay  in 
hard  lumps  of  muscle  in  the  right  places.  When  he 
greeted  or  thanked  a  man  he  clutched  his  hand  as  with 
an  iron  claw. 

The  Vikings  found  that  they  had  reason  to  expect  an 
eventful  summer  with  much  amusement  and  many  dan- 
gers. They  thought  without  regret  that  some  of  them 
might  find  their  way  to  Odin  before  this  Viking  expedi- 
tion was  over.  They  had  not  much  objection  to  sitting 
round  the  golden-bristled  boar,  though  it  should  be  this 
very  winter. 

Meanwhile,  Leif  had  formed  a  fixed  idea  that  he  would 
show  Ingolf  he  could  trade  and  get  on  in  foreign  lands 
on  his  own  account.  Accordingly,  when  he  got  there, 
he  showed  a  caution  which  was  'not  really  according  to 
his  own  mind,  and  which  the  Vikings  had  not  expected. 
He  traded  with  great  foresight,  bought  chiefly  corn  and 
other  necessary  commodities,  including  wine  and  honey. 
He  was  also,  in  pursuance  of  his  promise  to  Ingolf, 
cautious  with  regard  to  engaging  in  battle. 

His  men  had  expected  great  things  in  the  direction 
of  depredations  on  the  coast,  and  were  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent disappointed. 

Leif  had  comparatively  few  men,  and  he  did  not  en- 
gage in  unequal  warfare.  In  order,  however,  to  get 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         179 

some  booty,  he  practised  unexpected  attacks  with  quite 
a  few  picked  men.  With  five  or  six  followers  he  would 
row  ashore  in  a  boat  in  out-of-the-way  spots.  If  they 
succeeded  in  getting  on  shore  unobserved  they  began 
to  steal  forward  by  remote  paths  and  through  deep  and 
dark  woods.  These  were  occasions  of  incredible  excite- 
ment and  secret  joy. 

It  was  possible  for  days  and  nights  to  pass  without 
so  small  a  force.  And  when  they  had  at  last  found  a 
their  finding  a  place  adapted  for  making  an  attack  with 
place,  a  considerable  time  might  pass  in  watching  for 
an  opportunity.  But  when  their  well-prepared  attack 
at  length  took  place,  it  was  overwhelming  and  irresisti- 
ble. Even  old  and  experienced  Vikings  had  to  acknowl- 
edge that  they  had  never  before  taken  part  in  such  bold 
and  exciting  expeditions.  And  they  loved  Leif  for  the 
happiness  he  provided  them  in  their  old  age.  There 
was  constant  emulation  among  Leif's  men  to  get  leave  to 
accompany  him  on  these  forays.  But  Leif  showed  an 
immovable  firmness  and  foresight  in  choosing  his  com- 
panions. It  was  counted  a  great  honour  to  be  among 
those  chosen. 

The  summer  passed  in  sailing  to  and  fro  along  the 
coasts  of  England  and  Ireland. 

Leif  diligently  avoided  collisions  with  other  Vikings. 
There  were,  as  a  rule,  many  following  him,  and  he  never 
could  be  secure  from  an  attack.  It  was  therefore  best 
to  exhibit  suitable  caution.  For  the  rest,  he  slepb 
peacefully  in  his  bearskin  bag  at  night.  Should  it 
happen  that  he  was  involved  in  a  fight  without  his  own 
fault,  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  that.  In  many  places 


i8o         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

where  he  came,  he  found  that  Haersten  and  Holmsten 
had  been  just  before  him  with  their  six  ships.  Leif  took 
no  real  trouble  to  overtake  them.  He  remembered  his 
promise  to  Ingolf,  and  had  resolved  to  put  his  trust  in 
chance.  Chance  had  before  shown  him  considerable 
kindness.  But  when,  towards  the  close  of  summer,  he 
directed  his  course  homewards,  chance  had  not  yet  come 
to  his  help.  It  was  therefore  with  a  certain  disappoint- 
ment in  his  mind  that  he  turned  homeward  from  his  sum- 
mer expedition.  It  was  indeed  no  small  disappointment 
to  him  that  fate  had  not  allowed  him  to  meet  Atle's 
sons. 

Olmod  the  Old,  who,  as  has  been  related,  was  voyag- 
ing with  a  fleet  of  five  ships,  made  inquiries  about  his 
kinsman,  Leif,  wherever  he  went.  In  many  places  Leif 
had  been  just  before  him,  but  had  sailed  again  no  one 
knew  whither. 

Olmod  the  Old  was  continually  on  his  scent,  and  sailed, 
so  to  speak,  in  his  wake  the  whole  summer,  though  with- 
out any  success  in  overtaking  him.  He  vowed  offerings 
and  gifts  to  Odin  if  he  would  help  him  to  find  his  kins- 
man. But  Odin  seemed  to  have  turned  his  eyes  from 
him. 

Olmod  kept  himself  likewise  informed  concerning  the 
voyage  of  Atle's  sons.  From  their  movements  he  could 
not  ascertain  whether  they  intended  evil  against  Leif  or 
not.  It  did  not  really  look  as  if  they  were  following 
him.  Perhaps  they  did  not  know  what  direction  he  was 
taking,  but  Olmod  considered  it  best  to  be  on  the  watch. 

Late  in  the  summer,  Olmod  lost  every  trace  of  Leif. 
But  as  a  compensation  he  so  nearly  succeeded  in  over- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS          181 

taking  Atle's  sons  that  he  at  last  caught  a  glimpse  of 
their  ships  making  out  to  sea  on  their  way  home.  It 
seemed  to  Olmod  that  they  were  sailing  rather  early. 
Were  they  thinking  of  concealing  themselves  among  the 
rocks  and  islands  off  the  coast  and  giving  Leif  a  warm 
reception  when  he  turned  home?  Olmod  the  Old  was 
from  his  own  experience  not  unacquainted  with  strata- 
gems. He  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  Atle's  sons. 

For  some  time  he  kept  his  ships  hidden  in  a  creek 
near  the  ordinary  route  in  order  to  catch  Leif,  if  possi- 
ble. At  last  he  could  wait  no  longer.  Leif,  he  thought, 
must  have  turned  homeward  by  some  other  way,  and  as 
good  sailing  weather  just  then  set  in,  he  directed  his 
course  towards  Norway.  He  had  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  safest  thing  was  to  try  to  find  Atle's  sons, 
or  at  any  rate  to  get  news  of  them.  If  he  found  that 
they  had  sailed  the  direct  way  home,  there  was  scarcely 
anything  to  fear  from  them  that  autumn. 

On  a  dark  and  stormy  autumn  day,  with  clouds  driv- 
ing across  the  sky  and  a  tossing  sea,  Leif  came  sailing 
past  Hisargavl.  He  was  sailing  along,  thinking  of  his1 
disappointment,  when  he  suddenly  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  ships  bearing  down  upon  him  with  their 
battle-ensigns  hoisted.  For  the  sake  of  his  promise, 
Leif  counted  the  ships ;  they  were  six  in  number.  He 
looked  closer  at  them,  and  recognized  them  as  those  of 
Atle's  sons.  Then  Leif  felt  a  great  contentment  fill  his 
mind.  Here  at  last  came  his  friends,  the  sons  of  Atle. 
And  luckily  all  chance  of  flight  was  excluded.  It  would 
have  been  vexatious  if  he  had  had  to  break  his  word, 
but  now  it  was  all  right.  For  Ingolf  could  not  expect 


182         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

of  him  that  he  should  surrender  unconditionally  in  order 
to  avoid  battle  with  Atle's  sons.  He  gathered  his  ships 
together  and  commanded  them  to  lower  sail ;  quickly  he 
had  boards  for  defence  fixed  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
cleared  the  ships  for  action.  He  went  about  and  be- 
came gradually  agitated  with  excitement  and  happy  ex- 
pectation. At  last  —  at  last  the  opportunity  had  come 
for  seriously  exchanging  blows  with  Holmsten.  One  of 
them  should  in  any  case  be  a  guest  of  Odin  that  evening. 
How  he  was  to  manage  with  his  three  ships  against  the 
six  of  Atle's  sons  did  not  worry  Leif  much. 

While  he  issued  his  orders,  he  had  only  eyes  for 
Holmsten's  dragon-ship.  There  Holmsten  came,  also 
in  a  state  of  excitement.  Now  the  long  boat-hooks 
could  reach  the  gunwale  on  Holmsten's  ship.  "  Pull 
hard,  men !  "  Leif  had  a  great  longing  to  salute  Holm- 
sten. The  first  spear  whistled  through  the  air.  From 
both  sides  it  was  greeted  with  cheerful  battle  cries  and 
gay  laughter. 

At  length  the  two  dragon-ships  lay  side  by  side,  rock- 
ing violently  upon  the  grey  sea.  Blows  and  shouts  were 
exchanged  above  the  high  quarter-deck  boards.  Leif 
pushed  his  men  roughly  to  one  side.  He  had  set  eyes 
on  Holmsten.  A  spear  whistled  past  his  ear,  and  he 
heard  Holmsten  laugh  and  shout :  "  There  is  a  spear 
in  place  of  the  one  you  sank  here  last  autumn." 

Leif  twisted  himself  to  one  side,  seized  the  spear, 
aimed  at  Holmsten,  and  sent  it  back.  "  I  have  enough 
weapons,  friend  Holmsten !  I  will  test  the  ax  you  once 
gave  me  on  your  own  skull."  Holmsten  avoided  the 
spear  at  the  last  moment  by  a  leap  to  one  side. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         183 

Now  Leif  was  close  to  the  gunwale.  The  fight  went 
on  energetically  on  both  sides  of  him.  The  ships  reeled 
violently  and  crashed  noisily  against  each  other.  Salt 
spray  concealed  now  and  then  the  hot  faces.  Leif  held 
his  ax  raised  and  shook  it  towards  Holmsten.  "  Now, 
when  I  cleave  your  head  before  long,  it  will  not  be 
through  carelessness  !  Remember  that,  Holmsten." 

Holmsten  laughed  derisively.  He  could  not  properly 
reach  Leif  because  of  his  men.  "  It  will  double  my  joy, 
friend  Leif,  to  know  you  are  lying  cold  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  by  the  side  of  your  spear,  while  your  friend 
Helga  makes  me  comfortable." 

Leif  leaped  up  on  the  quarter-deck  boards,  swinging 
his  ax  high  over  his  head,  but  was  forced  back.  He 
tried  again  and  again,  but  was  met  by  a  wall  of  weap- 
ons. One  of  Atle's  sons'  other  ships  hooked  itself  fast 
on  to  the  other  side  of  the  dragon-ship.  The  battle 
raged  furiously  along  both  gunwales. 

During  an  involuntary  pause  in  the  battle,  Leif  found 
time  to  look  round  him  a  little.  One  of  his  ships  was 
already  overpowered,  and  the  other  surrounded  by  three 
of  the  enemy's  smaller  ships ;  his  own  was  so  hard 
pressed  that  it  was  obviously  only  a  question  of  how 
long  he  could  hold  out. 

Leif  saw  clearly  how  untenable  his  position  was.  He 
did  not  envy  Atle's  sons  their  victory.  He  called  those 
who  had  followed  him  on  many  bold  expeditions  to  him, 
and  said  in  a  choked  voice :  "  If  we  are  going  to  Val- 
halla, friends,  let  us  take  Holmsten  with  us,  and  as  many 
of  his  men  as  we  can !  " 

So  he  stormed  the  gunwale,  followed  by  his  best  men, 


1 84         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

and  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  foothold  on  Holmsten's 
dragon-ship.  And  now  Leif  was  at  his  ease.  Gener- 
ously he  dealt  out  blows  and  thrusts,  and  devoted  him- 
self energetically  to  the  battle.  He  saw  his  men  falling 
round  him,  and  he  himself  had  several  wounds  which  he 
had  not  time  to  think  about.  He  was  not  afraid  of 
death,  but  meant  to  take  Holmsten  with  him. 

While  Leif  stood  there,  and  dealt  doughty  blows 
around  him  in  order  to  get  at  Holmsten,  there  came  in 
sight  a  fleet  of  five  ships  by  Hisargavl.  The  five  ships 
were  sailing  swiftly,  and  the  water  foamed  round  their 
bows  as  they  approached.  At  last  Olmod  the  Old  was 
about  to  overtake  Leif.  And  he  had  bestirred  himself, 
as  it  appeared.  He  gave  himself  no  time  to  survey  the 
situation,  but  drove  his  ships  right  in  among  the  com- 
batants. In  his  green  cloak,  with  a  golden  helmet  on 
his  head,  he  stood  in  a  dignified  attitude  by  the  mast 
and  issued  his  orders. 

"  It  looks  as  if  you  wanted  a  little  help,  Cousin  Lief !  " 
he  shouted  in  the  joy  of  battle.  All  other  talking  he 
left  to  his  weapons. 

Haersten  saw  quickly  that  his  position  was  untenable, 
and  gave  orders  for  flight.  But  it  was  by  no  means  so 
easy  to  get  away  in  a  moment.  Holmsten's  ship  soon 
lay  wedged  in  between  those  of  Leif  and  Olmod  the  Old. 
Leif  made  use  of  the  confusion  which  ensued  among 
Holmsten's  men  at  suddenly  finding  enemies  on  both 
sides,  and  made  his  way  close  up  to  Holmsten.  When 
Holmsten  saw  him  coming,  he  prepared  to  receive  him 
in  his  cool  and  quiet  way.  But  now  Leif  had  become 
quite  wild.  When  it  seemed  that  he  could  not  get  for- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         185 

ward  quickly  enough,  he  flung  his  ax  at  Holmsten's  face. 
Holmsten  dropped  his  weapons,  threw  up  his  arms, 
reeled,  and  fell. 

Leif's  joy  at  seeing  Holmsten  fall  was  so  great  that 
he  forgot  to  be  on  his  guard.  One  of  his  men  pushed 
a  shield  in  front  of  him  just  in  time.  The  shield  was 
cloven  by  the  blow  of  an  ax,  intended  for  Leif.  But 
Leif  was  not  to  die  that  day.  Now  he  was  himself 
again,  picked  up  his  ax,  and  continued  the  attack. 
After  Holmsten's  fall  the  opposition  was  soon  broken. 

A  couple  of  Olmod's  ships  had  recovered  the  ship 
Atle's  sons  had  won  from  Leif.  Olmod  secured  for 
himself  Holmsten's  ship  as  a  reward  for  his  trouble,  and 
in  order  to  be  able  to  provide  offerings  and  gifts  to  Odin. 
The  remainder  of  Atle's  sons'  ships  escaped  in  disorder. 

Olmod  came  across  Leif  where  he  was  sitting  and 
binding  up  his  wounds. 

"  You  are  bleeding  much,  cousin,  and  can  be  glad  that 
you  still  have  blood  to  bleed." 

"That  I  owe  to  you,  Cousin  Olmod.  What  lucky 
wind  was  that  which  blew  you  here,  just  when  you  were 
most  needed?  " 

"  Ask,  rather,  what  freak  was  it  of  Odin's  that  he  did 
not  let  me  overtake  you  before.  I  came  to  Dalsfjord 
the  day  after  you  sailed,  and  have  pursued  you  in  vain 
all  the  summer." 

Leif  looked  up  hastily.  A  sudden  fear  shot  through 
him. 

"  What  did  you  want  me  for?  " 

"  That  you  have  seen." 

Leif  was  quiet  again.     "  Nothing  more?  "  he  asked. 


186         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  Don't  you  think  I  had  cause  enough?  Did  you 
expect  me  to  follow  your  tedious  tracks,  the  whole  sum- 
mer, merely  to  bring  you  a  greeting  from  Helga?  " 

Leif  rose  and  drew  a  bracelet  off  his  arm.  It  was  for 
Olmod.  He  brought  forth  his  most  valuable  things, 
resolved  to  give  Olmod  all  the  best  he  had.  Objections 
were  useless.  When  Leif  gave,  he  gave  what  he  had, 
and  kept  nothing  back  till  he  had  no  more. 

"  Finally,  don't  think  that  by  killing  Holmsten  and 
putting  Haersten  to  flight  you  have  finished  with  Atle's 
sons,"  Olmod  said  warningly.  "  I  think,  Cousin  Leif, 
you  had  better  come  home  and  spend  the  winter  with 
me." 

Leif  thanked  him  warmly  for  the  invitation.  "  It  is 
such  a  short  way  home  to  the  fjords  that  I  don't  care 
about  making  a  circuit.  But  what  if  you  came  home 
with  me  and  remained  with  us  for  the  winter,  Cousin 
Olmod?  " 

But  Olmod  declined.  A  whole  winter  in  one  and  the 
same  place  did  not  tempt  him  at  all.  "  You  brothers 
have  enough  friends  round  you,  but  be  careful,  cousin. 
I  should  be  surprised  if  Haersten  let  the  grass  grow 
over  the  matter  he  has  to  settle  with  you.  I  am  glad 
that  this  time  I  could  be  a  little  use  to  you,  Leif.  You 
have  rewarded  my  help,  as  one  might  expect  from  you, 
spendthrift  that  you  are!  May  good  fortune  follow 
you  wherever  you  go." 

Olmod  and  Leif  parted  with  great  friendliness,  and 
each  sailed  to  his  own  home. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         187 

VIII 

It  was  really  a  surprise  to  Ingolf  when  he  heard  from 
his  brother  what  had  happened  at  Hisargavl.  He  had 
gradually  come  to  fear  a  collision  between  Leif  and 
Atle's  sons.  He  did  not  trust  Atle's  sons  any  more 
since  the  feast  of  the  previous  winter.  With  a  gloomy 
and  slightly  absent  expression  he  heard  Leif's  account 
to  the  end.  "  I  do  not  grieve  for  Holmsten,"  he  said 
severely,  when  Leif  finished.  "  I  am  glad  that  both 
brothers  did  not  escape  alive  from  the  game.  The 
Norns  often  strike  accurately." 

"  It  was  by  my  ax  that  Holmsten  fell,"  Leif  an- 
swered curtly.  "  I  will  not  share  the  honour  of  having 
slain  him  with  any  one,  not  even  with  the  Norns ! " 

Ingolf  smiled,  but  there  was  no  laughter  in  his  mind. 

"  The  most  important  point,  Leif,  is  that  you  re- 
turned home  alive,"  he  said  cordially.  "  Thank  your- 
self for  it,  but  allow  me  to  thank  the  gods  and  goddesses 
of  fate." 

Helga  was  very  quiet  when  Leif  told  her  about  the 
batle.  There  rose  in  her  soul  a  yet  greater  tenderness 
towards  him.  Every  day,  yes,  every  hour,  with  Leif 
became  precious.  A  foreboding  told  her  that  Leif  was 
scarcely  destined  to  live  long.  Her  happiness  was  like 
the  flying  birds. 

Orn  became  quite  enlivened  by  hearing  of  the  fight  at 
Hisargavl.  Ingolf  related  it  to  him  with  much  detail. 
As  soon  as  he  had  finished,  Orn  demanded  to  have  the 
whole  told  over  again.  It  was  entirely  after  his  mind 


i88  THE  SWORN  BROTHERS 
—  a  proof  that  the  race  was  not  extinct.  He  put  many 
questions  and  asked  for  incidents.  Time  after  time, 
when  the  talk  concerned  Leif,  he  nodded  approvingly. 
When  his  curiosity  was  at  last  satisfied,  he  sat  silent 
and  thoughtful,  and  still  kept  nodding  to  himself. 

Rodmar  sat  in  his  darkness  and  heard  the  account 
through  at  one  sitting.  When  Ingolf  began  again,  he 
sighed  deeply,  rose,  and,  supported  on  his  two  sticks, 
tottered  to  his  chamber  and  crept  into  bed.  He  could 
not  understand  that  there  was  still  so  much  disturbance 
in  the  world. 

When  Ingolf  came  out  again  from  his  father  he  was 
silent  and  thoughtful.  He  sought  Leif,  and  found  him 
in  Helga's  room.  Ingolf  sat  down  silently  by  his  side 
and  remained  for  a  while  without  speaking.  "  Now 
Haasten  remains  behind  with  one  arm,"  he  said  at  last, 
in  a  subdued  tone,  more  as  though  speaking  to  himself 
than  to  the  others. 

Helga  looked  hastily  at  him.  "  One  must  feel  a 
great  longing  after  a  brother  one  loves,"  she  said 
quietly. 

Leif  laughed  sarcastically.  "  It  will  scarcely  be  a 
one-armed  Haasten  who  comes  out  to  take  vengeance 
for  Holmsten." 

Ingolf  looked  at  him.  There  was  a  troubled,  but  firm 
and  quiet,  look  in  his  eye.  "  I  should  be  surprised  if 
Haasten  took  vengeance,"  Leif  laughed  scornfully.  In- 
golf rose  quietly  and  said :  "  But  it  would  be  best  to  be 
on  our  guard  against  Haersten." 

Ingolf  took  home  to  the  chief  house  as  many  of  his 
own  and  Leif 's  men  as  could  be  spared  from  the  rest  of 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         189 

their  property.  Moreover,  he  collected  his  friends  from 
the  surrounding  district.  He  always  had  many  people 
round  him  in  the  winter.  He  set  guards  on  all  the  roads 
to  secure  himself  against  an  unexpected  attack,  and  for 
the  rest  watched  events  quietly. 

What  had  happened,  had  happened,  and  could  not  be 
altered.  And  whose  fault  was  it?  Neither  his  nor  his 
sworn  brother's,  it  seemed  to  him.  He  made  offerings 
to  Odin  and  Thor,  and  relied  on  them  and  on  the  good 
luck  of  the  family. 

Already,  on  the  day  after  his  arrival,  Leif  had  to  go 
to  bed.  For  a  considerable  time  he  had  to  keep  quiet. 
He  suffered  a  good  deal  from  his  wounds.  They  were 
on  various  parts  of  his  body,  so  that  it  was  difficult  for 
him  to  find  rest. 

Leif  was  not  good  at  keeping  quiet.  He  was  tor- 
mented by  an  intolerable  impatience.  Time  after  time 
when  his  wounds  were  on  the  point  of  healing  up  they 
opened  again,  because  of  his  want  of  care.  The  fever 
which  accompanied  the  wounds  had  a  wearing  effect  both 
on  his  flesh  and  his  temper.  He  became  even  more  bony 
and  thin  than  he  had  been  before.  Long  and  wasted 
he  lay  there  in  bed,  and  vexed  himself  over  the  loss  of 
the  days,  of  which  he  was  unjustly  deprived. 

Helga  nursed  him  patiently,  and  always  sat  by  him. 
That  was  the  only  thing  which  reconciled  him  with  this 
kind  of  existence.  He  could  not  look  away  from  her 
even  for  a  moment.  Leif  discovered  that  there  was  a 
happiness  and  soothing  effect  in  the  touch  of  Helga's 
hands,  which  he  had  not  hitherto  known.  All  the  time 
he  had  to  have  her  hands  busy  about  him.  Leif  was  not 


190         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

easy  to  manage.  In  vain  did  Helga  beg  and  pray  him 
to  leave  the  bandages  alone  and  not  continually  look  at 
his  wounds  at  the  wrong  time.  At  last  she  went  in  des- 
pair to  Ingolf,  and  Ingolf  found  a  means.  On  the  same 
day  that  Helga  had  spoken  to  him,  he  said  to  Leif  in  his 
usual  composed  manner :  "  Your  wounds  are  a  long 
time  healing,  Cousin  Leif.  You  will  hardly  be  fit  for 
fighting  by  the  time  Haersten  attacks  us."  That  was 
effectual.  Ingolf  knew  his  brother.  From  that  day 
Leif  lay  rigidly  still  and  did  not  touch  the  bandages. 
With  a  mighty  effort  he  kept  his  mind  in  control  and 
curbed  his  impatience.  With  a  mysterious  smile  in  her 
eyes,  which  Leif  could  not  understand,  Helga  continued 
to  nurse  him.  Leif  could  not  make  out  why  her  eyes 
had  suddenly  become  so  bright.  Here  he  lay,  tortured 
both  outwardly  and  inwardly.  One  would  think  that 
was  nothing  to  be  amused  at.  At  last  he  asked  her 
plainly,  and  in  a  rather  morose  tone,  why  she  was  so 
cheerful.  Helga  laughed,  and  promised  to  tell  him  as 
soon  as  his  wounds  were  healed;  for  now  that  could 
hardly  be  long.  Leif  sighed.  It  seemed  to  him  that 
already  the  time  had  been  incomprehensively  long. 

At  last  the  day  came  when  Leif  could  go  about  on  his 
legs  again.  But  it  was  plain  that  he  had  quite  got  out 
of  the  habit  of  going  with  his  head  high  and  his  legs 
down.  His  head  was  not  so  high  aloft,  and  his  legs 
tottered.  He  had  to  laugh  at  them.  They  were  really 
silly  legs  —  to  speak  plainly  —  miserable  legs  of  dough. 
He  went  about  laughing  and  waddling,  and  was  obliged 
every  minute  to  sit  down  and  rest  his  legs.  He  had 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         191 

never  guessed  that  such  a  simple  thing  as  walking  could 
become  so  difficult. 

But  one  day  it  was  difficult  no  longer,  and  Leif 
rapidly  forgot  both  his  sickness  and  his  weakness. 

What  was  Haersten  about?  It  seemed  to  Leif  plain 
that  he  had  a  claim  that  Haersten  should  come  now, 
and  quickly.  Now  that  he  was  in  a  condition  to  receive 
him  in  a  suitable  manner,  he  began  to  long  for  him 
deeply. 

Leif  went  and  exercised  his  arm-muscles  by  cutting 
logs  for  the  fire.  Ah!  So  he  intended  to  split  Haer- 
sten's  head.  But  Haersten  still  kept  them  waiting.  It 
was  not  according  to  Leif's  mind  to  go  and  wait  for  an 
attack,  which  did  not  come.  Had  he  had  sufficient  hope 
that  Ingolf  would  go  with  him  on  a  journey  to  Gaulum 
he  would  have  proposed  it.  In  his  leisure  time  Leif  im- 
agined for  himself  an  attack  on  Atle  Jarl  and  his  sons, 
picturing  it  down  to  the  minutest  details.  He  would 
himself  strike  down  Haersten  and  Atle  Jarl.  But  he 
would  prefer  to  let  Haasten  escape  with  his  life.  It 
was  a  shame  that  such  a  splendid  plan  of  attack  should 
always  be  shipwrecked  on  Ingolf 's  obstinacy. 

At  last  Haersten  came.  It  was  lucky  that  Ingolf  had 
set  guards  upon  the  roads.  Haersten  did  not  come 
alone.  He  had  planned  his  attack  with  care.  He 
wished  to  wait  till  the  brothers  perhaps  might  not  be 
so  much  on  the  alert.  And  he  wished  to  come  with  a 
picked  and  numerous  band,  which  it  took  time  to  as- 
semble secretly,  as  the  sworn  brothers  had  friends  also 
in  those  parts.  Haersten  had  resolved  that  one  life 


192          THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

was  too  little  compensation  for  Holmsten.  They  should 
both  die.  Preferably  he  would  strike  them  both  to 
earth  with  his  own  hand. 

Haersten  had  to  do  without  Haasten's  help  in  plan- 
ning and  carrying  out  his  attack.  On  the  other  hand, 
Haasten  did  not  put  difficulties  in  his  way.  Haasten 
gave  his  mind  to  taking  what  vengeance  he  could,  and 
to  the  extent  he  was  able.  "  But  my  mind  and  my  sense 
of  justice  tell  me,"  he  said,  "  not  to  go  with  you  against 
the  sworn  brothers." 

Haersten  asked  him  whether  his  mind  and  his  sense 
of  justice  did  not  also  bid  him  to  leave  both  his  brothers 
unavenged  in  case  he  also  should  fall.  Haasten  an- 
swered him  that  time  would  show,  but  that  it  was  con- 
ceivable. 

"  It  might  seem  that  you  care  more  for  Ingolf  than 
for  your  own  brothers,"  Haersten  said  coldly. 

"  I  have  a  great  regard  for  Ingolf,"  answered  Haas- 
ten.  "  You  brothers  were  not  afraid  to  profit  by  your 
greater  force  when  you  attacked  Leif." 

So  the  conversation  ended.  When  Haersten  had 
quietly  collected  as  many  men  as  he  thought  would  en- 
sure a  victory  over  the  sworn  brothers,  even  if  he  found 
them  prepared,  he  started  one  night  and  took  the  way  to 
Dalsfjord.  He  advanced  by  secret  paths,  and  hid  in 
the  woods.  He  marched  only  by  night,  resting  by  day. 
But  though  he  showed  all  possible  caution,  Ingolf's 
guards  got  news  of  his  expedition.  They  were  able  to 
inform  Ingolf  in  time  that  Haersten  was  approaching 
with  a  numerous  following.  In  great  haste  the  brothers 
collected  a  still  larger  number,  and  marched  against 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         193 

him  to  meet  him  before  he  expected  it.  The  encounter 
took  place  one  winter  morning  on  the  heath.  Haersten 
and  his  men  had  spent  the  night  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
wood.  It  was  a  still  morning,  with  mild  air,  and  the 
ground  was  heavy.  The  weather  was  admirably 
adapted  for  a  battle,  save  that  the  snow  became  slippery 
when  it  had  been  trodden  hard.  Haersten  and  the 
sworn  brothers  prepared  themselves,  each  on  his  own 
side,  for  a  trial  of  strength,  in  all  quietness  and  at 
their  leisure.  The  result  of  the  battle  was  of  great  im- 
portance to  both  parties,  and  they  urged  their  men  to 
be  cautious  and  keep  together. 

Haersten  seemed  to  seek  Leif.  And  Leif  was  not  the 
man  to  avoid  a  willing  opponent.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore they  stood  opposite  each  other,  both  fierce  and  vigi- 
lantly watching.  But  the  fight  between  them  was  of 
short  duration.  They  had  only  exchanged  a  few  blows, 
and  neither  of  them  had  yet  been  wounded,  when  Haer- 
sten slipped  on  the  smooth  ground.  In  the  same  instant 
Leif's  ax  descended  on  his  neck.  Haersten  fell  and  re- 
mained lying.  Red  blood  streamed  profusely  out  of  a 
deep  wound  in  his  neck.  Smoking,  it  oozed  into  the 
cold  white  snow  and  formed  holes  with  reddish  edges. 
Thus  fell  Haersten. 

When  he  had  fallen,  Ingolf  had  the  trumpet  blown  for 
a  truce,  and  invited  Haersten's  followers  to  go  in  peace. 
As  no  one  wished  for  more  fighting,  Haersten's  men 
marched,  carrying  his  body,  from  their  unsuccessful 
attempt,  back  to  Gaulum. 

Leif  was  quite  jubilant.  He  never  remembered  hav- 
ing been  so  glad.  Now  he  had  avenged  the  attack  at 


194         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

Hisargavl,  and  settled  all  the  rest  of  the  account  which 
he  had  with  Atle's  sons.  There  was  a  high  degree  of 
intoxication  in  his  mind.  He  composed  and  sang  with 
a  strong  voice  a  victor's  song. 

But  Ingolf  did  not  show  any  joy  at  the  victory.  He 
was  silent  and  thoughtful.  As  soon  as  he  had  returned 
home  with  his  men,  he  went  to  his  father  and  told  him  of 
Haersten's  fall.  "  It  will  not  be  in  the  neck  of  Atle's 
sons  alone  that  Leif's  ax  has  struck  wounds,"  screamed 
Orn,  with  his  heavy  cutting  voice,  when  he  had  heard 
Ingolf  to  the  end.  "  Trust  me !  It  is  all  over  with  our 
peace  in  Dalsfjord.  Even  though  we  have  many 
friends,  Atle  Jarl  and  Haasten  will  in  the  long  run 
prove  too  strong  for  us.  Make  peace  with  Haasten,  my 
son,  before  it  is  too  late.  For  old  friendship's  sake 
he  will  be  satisfied  with  taking  your  property  and 
driving  you  away  from  this  district.  I  am  too  old, 
I  know,  to  leave  Dalsfjord  myself.  But  don't  you 
trouble  about  that.  I  am  full  of  days,  and  will  die 
soon.  I  had  a  foreboding  that  Leif  would  cause  mis- 
fortune. But  he  is  a  plucky  fellow.  And  what  has 
happened  has  happened.  Let  me  see  him." 

It  had  never  been  the  case  before  that  Orn  had 
wished  to  see  Leif.  Once  the  sight  of  Leif  had  been 
to  him  a  plague  and  an  unceasing  source  of  annoyance. 
Now  he  wished  to  see  him.  Leif  was  called,  and  will- 
ingly let  himself  be  inspected  by  Orn's  red,  inflamed, 
swollen  eyes.  His  spirits  were  so  cheerful  that  he  felt 
impelled  to  show  himself  friendly  even  towards  Orn. 

"  Your  appearance  does  not  answer  to  your  ex- 
ploits," Orn  exclaimed.  "  You  are  rather  slight  in 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         195 

body  to  be  a  warrior.  But,  at  any  rate,  I  will  give 
you  Helga  since  she  wants  you.  Take  her  and  marry 
her,  but  do  it  quickly.  For  I  will  gladly  drink  your 
health  at  your  marriage  before  I  die.  And  I  shall 
die  soon." 

Leif  smiled  and  thanked  him  and  was  very  friendly. 
It  amused  him  to  think  that  the  permission  was  really 
rather  superfluous.  But  that  day  he  did  not  wish  for 
any  trouble.  Haersten's  death  made  him  feel  so  pros- 
perous and  benevolent. 

Ingolf  had  all  day  long  been  meditating.  In  the 
evening  he  asked  Leif  to  speak  with  him  in  private. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  sending  messengers  to  Haas- 
ten  and  offering  him  an  agreement  on  terms  to  be  fixed 
by  himself?  "  he  asked  quietly. 

"  That  seems  to  me  to  be  unnecessary  weakness  to 
submit  the  matter  to  Haasten's  decision  alone,"  an- 
swered Leif  arrogantly.  "  If  he  wishes  to  pay  us  a 
call  we  shall  know  how  to  receive  him." 

"  You  forget,  brother,"  said  Ingolf  calmly,  but  in  a 
troubled  voice,  "  that  only  in  the  utmost  extremity 
can  I  use  weapons  against  Haasten.  You  have  de- 
prived him  of  both  his  brothers.  Even  apart  from 
the  manner  in  which  it  happened  it  is  a  great  loss  for 
him.  I,  for  my  own  part,  will  gladly  purchase  peace 
with  Haasten  at  the  price  which  he  agrees  upon." 

The  tone  of  Ingolf 's  voice  moved  Leif  to  the  heart. 
"  If  you,  for  your  part,  wish  to  submit  to  Haasten's 
decision,  I  dare  say  I  can  consent,"  he  said,  in  a  com- 
pliant tone.  "  Hitherto  I  have  not  lost  by  letting 
you  decide  matters." 


196         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Ingolf  chose  the  men  whom  he  considered  best  suited 
for  such  a  mission,  and  bade  them  go  to  Gaulum  and 
offer  Haasten  terms.  Haasten  received  Ingolf's  en- 
voys silently,  and  without  returning  their  salutations. 
They  had,  however,  been  his  companions  on  a  summer 
Viking  expedition,  and  several  of  them  had  been  his 
friends.  They  did  not  know  Haasten  again.  He  had 
aged,  and  all  signs  of  youthfulness  had  been  obliterated 
from  his  face.  Though  his  skin  was  still  soft  and 
smooth  it  was  deeply  furrowed.  His  look  was  cold 
and  solitary.  When  he  had  heard  the  object  of  their 
errand,  he  said  in  an  icy  tone :  "  I  will  answer  some 
day.  Meanwhile  I  offer  you  shelter  and  food." 

Haasten  let  them  wait  a  whole  week  for  an  answer. 
He  had  a  hard  battle  to  fight  first  with  his  father  and 
then  with  himself.  Atle  Jarl  would  at  first  hear  noth- 
ing about  an  agreement.  He  demanded  uncondition- 
ally, although  coldly  and  without  passion,  the  lives  of 
the  sworn  brothers.  He  blamed  Haasten  for  what  had 
happened,  because  he  had  at  the  time  refused  to  follow 
his  advice  and  offer  Ingolf  and  Leif  blood-brotherhood. 
Haasten  did  not  answer  at  length.  But  he  did  not  give 
up  till  Atle  Jarl  agreed  to  lay  the  matter  in  his  hand. 
When  Haasten  had  thus  become  solely  responsible,  he 
had  a  hard  battle  to  fight  with  himself.  His  family 
instinct  demanded  blood  and  not  compensation.  Even 
multiplied  "weregeld  could  not  compensate  him  for  the 
loss  of  his  brothers.  But  could  Leif 's  and  Ingolf's  lives 
do  it  either?  The  fact  was  that  nothing  could  com- 
pensate for  the  loss  of  his  brothers.  But  large  fines 
might  sustain  the  outward  honour  of  the  family.  To 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         197 

bear  weapons  against  Ingolf,  who  had  not  committed 
any  crime,  was  in  itself  unthinkable.  Besides,  Haasten 
remembered  his  vow  to  decide  impartially  if  at  any 
time  a  decision  should  be  demanded  from  him. 

When  he  had  at  last  arrived  at  unity  with  himself  he 
bade  Ingolf 's  messengers  be  called,  and  spoke  as  follows : 
"  The  sworn  brothers  have  desired  me  to  judge  between 
them  and  myself.  My  judgment  is  this.  No  compen- 
sation shall  be  asked  for  Holmsten  because  of  his  un- 
justified attack  on  Leif.  But  as  compensation  for 
Haersten,  who  went  to  take  righteous  vengeance  for 
his  brother,  and  by  doing  so  lost  his  life  at  Leif's  hand, 
I  adjudge  to  myself  all  the  sworn  brothers'  real 
property.  Before  three  winters  have  passed  they  shall 
have  left  all  their  land  and  territory  and  fjords  and 
hills.  Otherwise  they  will  be  treated  as  outlaws  wher- 
ever they  may  be  found  in  the  district." 

The  messengers  went  home  and  informed  the  brothers 
of  Haasten's  sentence.  When  Ingolf  had  heard  it,  he 
said  quietly :  "  That  was  to  be  expected." 

Leif,  on  the  other  hand,  was  furious.  He  never  re- 
membered to  have  heard  of  such  an  unreasonable  sen- 
tence. Ingolf  bade  him  take  the  matter  quietly. 
"  The  sentence  is  certainly  hard,"  he  said,  "  but  Haas- 
ten's  loss  is  harder.  I  would  not  willingly  change  my 
circumstances  with  his." 

All  bitterness  against  Haasten  vanished  compara- 
tively quickly  from  Leif's  mind.  The  question,  where 
they  should  now  go  and  settle,  absorbed  him,  all  at  once, 
so  completely  that  he  had  no  thoughts  to  spare  for 
anything  else.  Leif  was  glad  enough  to  go  and  settle 


198         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

in  a  new  country.  One  day  he  wished  to  go  to  Eng- 
land. Another  day  Ireland  had  suddenly  assumed  a 
great  attraction  for  him.  The  Faroe  Islands,  Hj  alt- 
land,  the  Southern  Islands  —  at  least  once  a  day  in 
his  thoughts  he  settled  in  all  these.  All  at  once  the 
idea  of  Iceland  occurred  to  him;  strange  to  think  that 
he  had  not  come  upon  it  at  once. 

Making  a  leap  in  the  air,  he  went  there  in  his  own 
thoughts  and  settled  in  a  strange  land,  and  so  sought 
Ingolf  in  hot  haste.  "  We  will  go  to  Iceland ! "  he 
shouted  in  his  delight,  and  was  already  absorbed,  body 
and  soul,  in  his  idea.  "  There  we  shall  have  a  whole 
country  to  ourselves." 

"  Is  it  not  somewhat  lonely  ?  "  asked  Ingolf,  smiling. 

Leif  thought  over  that,  and  conceded  that  in  the 
long  run  it  might  be  rather  lonely.  "  But  you  will  see 
many  will  follow  after  us.  Many  in  Norway  are  dis- 
contented with  Harald,  who  will  not  tolerate  any  will 
by  the  side  of  his  own.  The  best  people  will  follow 
us  thither  —  people  who  can  no  more  find  complete 
freedom  in  this  country.  Harald  is  already  seeking 
to  kill  many  of  the  best  men.  There  his  arm  cannot 
reach  them.  Sooner  or  later  the  land  will  be  colon- 
ized; it  is  said  to  be  fertile.  Let  us  be  the  first.  In- 
golf, do  you  hear,  let  us  be  the  first." 

There  was  something  in  Leif's  plan  which  attracted 
Ingolf.  If  he  had  to  depart  and  find  himself  a  new 
dwelling,  why  not  seek  it  in  a  new  country?  Ingolf 
the  Imperturbable  felt  his  heart  beat. 

Leif  was  all  fire  and  flame,  and  consequently  not  to 
be  resisted.  At  last  Ingolf  yielded.  "  We  can  journey 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         199 

there  in  the  summer  and  survey  the  country,"  he  said. 
When  Leif  had  got  Ingolf  so  far,  he  became  wild  with 
joy  and  dangerous  to  approach.  Ingolf  had  to  wrestle 
with  him ;  there  was  no  getting  out  of  it.  A  little  after 
they  were  both  lying  in  the  soft  snow.  When  the 
wrestle  was  thus  over,  they  began  to  pile  snow  on  each 
other,  till  they  had  to  stop  for  laughing.  The  boy  was 
uppermost  in  each  of  them.  They  were  happy,  and  for- 
got to  be  troubled  and  anxious  at  the  loss  of  their 
property.  Blood  and  life  surged  through  them.  They 
could  still  fight  as  in  the  old  days. 


IX 

Ingolf  kept  deeply  secreted  in  his  heart  the  image  of 
a  young  girl.  Her  name  was  Hallveig,  and  hers  was 
the  only  woman's  look  which  had  ever  stirred  his  soul. 
Her  grey  eyes  lived  so  vividly  in  his  memory,  he  could 
see  them  before  him  when  he  wished.  The  thought  of 
them  made  his  usually  quiet  heart  quiver.  Her  name 
was  Hallveig,  and  her  image  was  painfully  and  distinctly 
impressed  on  his  mind. 

He  had  seen  her  for  the  first  time  in  the  preceding 
winter  when,  on  one  of  his  trading  journeys,  he  had 
spent  the  night  at  the  house  of  her  father,  Frode.  And 
that  first  time  had  hitherto  been  the  only  one. 

He  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  her  father,  Frode, 
and  her  brother,  Lopt,  before,  at  various  sacrificial 
feasts.  Lopt  and  himself  had  much  in  common.  Lopt 
was  a  quiet  and  rather  reserved  man.  His  whole  ap- 


200         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

pearance  bore  the  stamp  of  the  well-to-do  yeoman 
farmer's  firmness  and  self-possession.  Lopt  and  Ingolf 
had  always  felt  attracted  by  each  other.  They  were 
both  strong,  high-born  men  without  deceit  or  flaw  in 
their  minds.  A  mutual  consciousness  of  their  inner 
affinity  had  from  the  beginning  brought  them  near  each 
other. 

Thus  Ingolf  came  to  the  house  one  winter  evening 
and  saw  Lopt's  sister.  Her  name  was  Hallveig,  and 
she  was  only  eighteen.  She  was  very  serious.  Ingolf 
never  saw  her  smile  like  other  young  women.  Already 
her  inner  seriousness  roused  great  disquiet  in  his  mind. 
Hallveig  did  not  go  about  lavishing  her  smiles.  Her  \ 
look  was  watchful  and  critical.  She  looked  at  people, 
and  had  a  scale  to  weigh  them  by.  One  became  clear 
about  one's  value  under  her  look.  And  her  look  did 
not  flinch  nor  change  like  that  of  other  women  when 
one  encountered  it.  It  met  one  like  a  man's.  It  was 
in  some  degree  a  boy's  look,  thought  Ingolf.  He  sat 
there  that  evening  and  could  take  neither  his  eyes  nor 
his  thoughts  from  Hallveig.  Lopt  and  Frode  often 
had  to  repeat  their  questions  to  him.  The  whole  of 
Ingolf's  listening  faculty  was  turned  inward  and  not 
outward.  He  sat  by  her  side  and  forgot  both  them  and 
himself.  All  that  he  knew  was  that  now  and  then  he 
cast  a  furtive  glance  at  Hallveig.  And  yet  he  sat  the 
whole  time  and  looked  at  her.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  Ingolf  had  been  in  love,  and  it  was  of  benefit  to 
him.  The  next  day  was  fixed  for  his  departure,  but  he 
did  not  go.  He  was  travelling  with  important  objects, 
and  it  would  be  very  extraordinary  if  he  delayed  his 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         201 

journey  without  special  reason.  But  he  remained  all 
the  same,  and  forgot  to  give  himself  or  others  a  reason 
for  it.  He  simply  remained  because  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  go  that  day. 

He  had  a  long  talk  with  Hallveig,  sitting  by  her  side 
in  the  morning.  A  little  after  (so  it  seemed)  he  was 
surprised  to  find  it  already  evening.  How  the  day  had 
gone  was  a  puzzle  to  him.  He  was  lost. 

Ingolf  did  not  find  it  at  all  surprising  that  he  found 
such  a  good  opportunity  to  talk  with  Hallveig  undis- 
turbed. He  had  neither  time  to  notice  nor  to  reflect 
upon  the  fact  that  Lopt  and  Frode  had  left  them  alone 
the  whole  day.  He  had  no  idea  that  any  one  could 
look  at  him  and  observe  from  his  behaviour  what  impres- 
sion Hallveig  had  made  upon  him. 

The  whole  of  that  day,  which  he  afterwards  did  not 
know  what  had  become  of,  he  sat  and  talked  with 
Hallveig.  Not  once  did  she  snlile  at  him.  But  there 
was  in  her  look  a  charm  which  surpassed  every  smile. 
There  was  a  warmth  in  her  look  and  a  secret  confidence 
which  put  him  at  his  ease.  Her  nearness  filled  him 
with  a  peculiar  quivering  consciousness  of  security. 
He  felt  that  there  was  already  a  deep  intimacy  between 
him  and  this  woman  whom  he  did  not  know  and  yet 
knew. 

The  next  day  Ingolf  went  on  his  journey.  When  he 
gave  Hallveig  his  hand  at  parting  their  eyes  met.  The 
look  of  both  was  firm  and  serious.  Suddenly  Hallveig 
smiled.  Her  eyes  became  bright  with  a  beaming  smile. 
All  at  once  Ingolf  perceived  that  there  was  something 
he  had  forgotten  or  neglected  —  something  which  could 


202         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

not  be  omitted.  He  stood  there  with  her  hand  in  his, 
uneasy  and  irresolute,  quite  otherwise  than  he  was 
accustomed. 

But  he  now  already  held  her  hand  at  departure  and 
must  go.  Confused  and  dissatisfied  with  himself,  and 
yet  at  the  same  time  filled  with  a  tremulous  happiness, 
he  went  away.  Ingolf  did  not  forget  Hallveig's  solitary 
smile.  He  reflected  much  whether  she  had  ever  given 
any  other  man  her  smile,  in  the  same  way  as  she  had  to 
him.  He  did  not  believe  it.  But  if  she  had,  the  man 
must  die. 

How  Ingolf  passed  the  year,  before  he  returned  to 
Hallveig,  he  did  not  know.  It  was  quite  unconsciously 
that  he  gave  the  memory  of  her  time  to  grow  and 
blossom  in  his  soul.  All  that  he  knew  about  it  was  that 
every  time  he  had  resolved  with  himself  that  now  he 
would  go  to  Frode's  house  and  visit  her,  his  mind  was 
filled  with  anxiety  and  unrest.  He  found  no  solid 
reason  for  waiting.  His  longing  urged  him  almost  ir- 
resistibly to  make  the  journey.  He  was  also  quite  cer- 
tain that  he  ran  a  risk  by  postponing  it.  All  the 
same  he  waited. 

At  a  feast  at  Gaulum  the  previous  autumn  he  had 
met  Lopt.  During  the  three  days  of  the  feast  they 
had  been  inseparable.  Quite  involuntarily  they  had 
kept  together.  Once,  when  the  talk  had  turned  on 
Lopt's  and  Frode's  affairs,  Lopt  said,  smiling:  "We 
cannot  get  my  sister,  Hallveig,  married.  She  rejects 
all  suitors."  As  Lopt  spoke,  Ingolf's  heart  began  to 
beat  violently  and  joyfully.  The  day  seemed  to  ex- 
pand around  him  and  become  beautiful.  The  colours 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         203 

of  the  heavens  and  earth  crowded  at  once  upon  his  sight. 
The  air  itself  became  fresh  and  reviving.  He  found  no 
answer  to  make  to  Lopt's  remark,  and  therefore  pre- 
tended not  to  have  heard  him.  Soon  afterwards  he  be- 
gan to  talk  of  something  else.  But  he  did  not  succeed 
in  deceiving  Lopt,  who,  when  alone,  smiled  to  himself. 
Soon  after  Ingolf's  meeting  with  Lopt,  Leif  returned 
from  his  Viking  expedition.  Ingolf  had  enough  to  do, 
and  was  for  a  time  cut  off  from  all  possibility  of  travel- 
ling. 

But  when  the  agreement  with  Haasten  was  settled, 
and  the  journey  to  Iceland  to  look  for  a  residence  de- 
termined on,  it  became  at  once  as  impossible  for  Ingolf 
to  postpone  the  decisive  interview  with  Hallveig  as  it 
had  been  for  him  before  to  resolve  on  a  visit.  Ingolf, 
according  to  his  custom,  first  spoke  with  his  father  on 
the  subject.  Orn  was  highly  pleased,  and  declared 
himself  in  every  way  satisfied  with  his  choice.  "  Frode," 
he  said,  "  is  rich  and  well-born.  It  is  time  that  you 
settled  in  life.  Leif  and  you  can  celebrate  your  mar- 
riage in  the  autumn.  You  should  not  put  off  the 
journey  for  a  day.  You  can  go,  my  son." 

Ingolf  went  to  Leif  and  asked  for  his  companionship 
on  a  journey  without  disclosing  further  the  object  or 
the  direction  of  it.  Leif  needed  no  pressing.  He  was 
always  ready  for  a  journey,  he  did  not  care  where. 
If  Ingolf  did  not  reveal  to  him  his  object  and  the  place 
whither  he  was  bound,  it  was  because  he  had  good 
reasons  for  concealing  it. 

The  brothers  left  home  with  a  select  but  not  very 
numerous  retinue.  Leif  received  a  strong  impression 


204         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

that  this  mysterious  journey  was  of  great  importance. 
Could  it  possibly  be  a  wooing  expedition?  Leif  studied 
Ingolf  closely,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was. 
It  amused  him  to  guess  whom  Ingolf  had  pitched  upon. 
He  could  not  make  out.  In  that  respect  he  knew  noth- 
ing of  Ingolf.  Had  Ingolf  really  fallen  in  love  dumbly 
and  silently?  Leif  could  not  picture  Ingolf  to  himself 
as  an  enamoured  suitor.  In  secret  he  was  immensely 
amused  at  his  brother's  seriousness  and  taciturnity. 
But  he  showed  great  caution  in  his  behaviour  towards 
him.  He  observed  that  a  great  deal  was  at  stake  for 
Ingolf.  He  surmised  that  his  quiet  demeanour  was  not 
so  genuine  as  it  usually  was. 

When  one  evening  they  reached  Frode's  house,  Leif 
did  not  guess  that  they  had  already  arrived  at  their 
journey's  end.  But  as  soon  as  he  saw  HaUveig,  he 
knew;  and  he  was  immediately  filled  with  a  warm  and 
brotherly  affection  for  her. 

When  Hallveig  heard  that  Ingolf  had  come,  she  at 
once  knew  the  reason.  She  put  on  her  finest  dress, 
and  displayed  her  most  valuable  ornaments.  Any  one 
might  think  what  they  would;  for  her  it  was  a  festal 
day. 

In  this  attire  she  went  to  meet  Ingolf.  Quietly  and 
seriously  she  returned  his  greeting.  Her  whole  manner 
told  Ingolf  that  he  was  expected. 

One  evening  she  led  Ingolf  to  her  room.  The  next 
day  Ingolf  spoke  with  Lopt  and  Frode,  and  asked  Hall- 
veig in  marriage.  Frode  gave  him  his  daughter  gladly. 
Lopt  said  that  there  was  no  one  he  would  prefer  as  a 
brother-in-law.  They  quickly  settled  all  the  conditions. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         205 

The  sworn  brothers'  loss  of  their  property  was  not  men- 
tioned at  the  time.  Hallveig  was  summoned  and  ques- 
tioned. Willingly  and  with  deep  earnestness  she  gave 
her  mind  to  the  matter.  When,  later  on,  she  was  alone 
with  Ingolf,  she  wept  and  kissed  him  fervently.  Ingolf 
was  a  constant  surprise  to  her.  Afterwards  she  smiled 
at  him  through  her  tears.  There  was  a  peculiar  power 
and  a  complete  abandonment  in  all  her  caresses.  In- 
golf felt  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  she  was 
completely  his,  and  for  the  whole  of  life.  And  her  de- 
meanour showed  just  as  certainly  that  she  was  happy. 

Frode  and  Lopt  celebrated  the  betrothal  by  a  great 
feast.  Ingolf  and  Leif  remained  a  whole  week  in  the 
house.  When  they  left,  the  wedding  was  fixed  for  about 
three  weeks  later.  In  accordance  with  Ingolf's  wish  it 
was  to  take  place  in  Orn's  house,  since  his  father  felt 
too  old  to  travel. 

Ingolf  and  Hallveig  were  agreed  on  having  the  short- 
est possible  interval  before  their  marriage.  They  did 
not  wish  to  wait  a  day  longer  than  necessary,  now  that 
they  at  last  had  each  other.  They  found  it  almost  im- 
possible to  separate,  though  it  was  only  for  three  weeks. 
They  could  not  comprehend  how  they  had  hitherto  been 
able  to  live  without  each  other.  Ingolf  felt  now  that 
the  two  years  which  had  passed  since  he  saw  Hallveig 
for  the  first  time  were  as  though  lost  for  him.  Yes,  his 
whole  youth  seemed  as  though  lost  for  him  since  he  had 
not  met  Hallveig  before. 

Never  had  Ingolf  before  reflected  how  short  life  really 
was.  He  had  not  measured  it  with  love's  measuring- 
rod. 


206         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 


Orn  was  peculiarly  restless  during  the  first  days  after 
Ingolf's  departure.  He  became  gradually  alarmed, 
though  he  had  considered  it  the  wisest  course  to  conceal 
his  alarm  from  his  son,  lest  Frode  should  perhaps  make 
difficulties,  now  that  the  agreement  with  Haasten  had 
deprived  Ingolf  of  all  his  real  property.  It  was  quite 
clear  to  Orn  that  it  was  on  this  point  the  prestige  of 
his  family  would  be  tested.  If  Frode  did  not  refuse  to 
give  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  a  man  who  had  been 
judicially  deprived  of  all  his  landed  property,  it  was 
because  the  man  was  Ingolf,  Orn's  son. 

As  the  days  passed,  and  it  became  evident  that  the 
brothers,  at  any  rate,  were  not  returning  at  once,  Orn 
became  quieter,  and  with  every  succeeding  day  his 
calm  increased.  The  continued  absence  of  the  brothers 
could  be  only  due  to  their  having  succeeded  in  their 
object. 

Orn  and  Rodmar  celebrated  this  by  a  justifiable  drink- 
ing bout.  Before  the  fumes  of  their  intoxication  had 
quite  passed  off,  Ingolf  and  Leif  returned  home,  having, 
as  was  apparent,  quite  succeeded  in  their  object.  Orn 
and  Rodmar  went  on  drinking  to  celebrate  the  good  news. 
Then  Orn  went  to  bed  and  slept  for  a  night  and  half 
the  following  day.  When  he  had  had  his  sleep  out,  he 
began  to  arrange  everything  for  the  double  marriage 
which  was  imminent.  He  also  wished  to  have  a  hand  in 
the  preparations  for  the  feast.  He  let  all  and  each 
know  that  since  the  gods  had  been  so  kind  as  to  allow 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         207 

him  to  celebrate  both  his  children's  weddings,  and  that 
at  the  same  time,  there  should  be  a  feast  which  should 
be  known  far  and  wide  and  be  long  remembered.  He 
had  the  temple,  together  with  every  house  and  every 
cottage  on  the  estate,  swept  from  roof  to  floor,  and  all 
the  woodwork  cleaned.  He  himself  selected  the  cattle 
and  the  swine  which  should  be  fattened  for  the  feast. 
He  tasted  the  liquors  brewed,  measured  out  the  meal  and 
the  corn,  and  was  everywhere. 

Rodmar  was  homeless  in  all  this  disquiet.  He  tried 
his  old  device  of  going  to  bed  and  keeping  himself  to 
himself  in  his  darkness.  He  counted  the  days  and  was 
morose.  About  three  weeks  were  to  be  occupied  with 
preparations  for  the  wedding,  and  then  a  week  with 
the  festivities  themselves.  Rodmar  drained  his  drink- 
ing-horn deep.  The  future  looked  very  empty  to  him. 

Orn  sent  Leif  and  Ingolf  out  to  invite  people  to  the 
feast.  They  spent  many  days  in  travelling  from  house 
to  house.  Orn  questioned  them  every  evening  as  to 
where  they  had  been,  and  made  plans  for  the  next  day. 
He  was  indefatigable.  A  peculiar  excitement,  which 
he  did  not  remember  to  have  felt  before  a  festival  since 
his  early  youth,  deprived  him  of  his  appetite  for  food, 
and  partly  also  of  his  tendency  to  drink.  He  was  about 
from  early  morning  to  late  in  the  evening.  All  the 
same,  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  sleep  at  night. 

Helga  sat  in  her  room  and  sewed  at  her  bridal  dress. 
Every  hour  of  leisure  which  Leif  found  he  spent  there 
with  her.  He  was  considerate  towards  Helga,  and 
avoided  disturbing  her  with  talk  or  caresses.  He  could 
stand  for  hours  together  and  watch  her,  as  she  sat  and 


208         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

sewed,  eager  and  absorbed,  with  busy  hands  and  hot 
cheeks.  Leif  was  very  happy  at  that  time.  But  as 
soon  as  he  had  not  Helga  before  his  eyes,  he  could  not 
realize  that  in  a  few  days  they  should  be  man  and  wife, 
and  had  to  go  in  again  and  watch  her  sewing  the  bridal 
dress. 

Orn  had  the  banqueting  hall  draped  with  costly  tap- 
estry, and  shields  hung  up. 

At  last  the  day  dawned.  And  the  same  day  spring 
made  its  entry  with  southern  winds  and  genial  tempera- 
ture. Already  from  the  early  morning  guests  began  to 
assemble  at  the  house.  Somewhat  before  noon  came 
Frode  with  his  daughter  and  son  and  a  splendid  retinue. 
Then  the  wedding  could  begin.  With  eight  days'  un- 
broken festivities  the  marriage  bonds  between  Ingolf 
and  Hallveig,  Helga  and  Leif,  were  sealed. 

Frode  showed  great  gladness  at  the  connection,  and 
celebrated  his  daughter's  marriage  with  all  the  custom- 
ary sports  and  pageants.  Orn  only  celebrated  his  son's 
with  sacrificial  feasts,  with,  as  became  a  host,  the  usual 
meals  and  drinking  bouts.  The  meals  were  many  and 
luxurious,  and  the  drinking  bouts  were  long.  Quan- 
tities of  mead  and  wine  were  drunk,  and  many  swine 
and  oxen  eaten,  besides  game  and  other  food  common 
at  festivals. 

Once  more  Orn  was  able  to  sit  in  stately  fashion  in  the 
high-seat  and  preside  over  a  feast.  During  the  days  of 
this  festival  Frode  shared  the  high-seat  with  him.  They 
knew  each  other  well  by  the  wounds  received  in  their 
youth  and  manhood.  Many  cheerful  memories  were 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         209 

revived,  and  they  shared  in  great  friendliness  their 
drink  and  the  high-seat. 

Orn  had  become  an  old  man.  Age  had  bent  his  back, 
made  his  face  puffy,  and  dulled  his  hearing.  Neverthe- 
less, he  wore  an  air  of  dignity  on  such  an  occasion. 
The  chieftain  was  uppermost  in  him,  and  his  natural 
courage  blazed  up  in  one  last  victorious  flame.  Ingolf 
had  rather  feared  that  his  father  would  not  be  equal 
to  preserving  his  dignified  bearing  through  such  a 
trying  festival,  but  his  fear  proved  groundless.  Orn 
rallied  all  his  powers  and  held  out.  He  took  part  in 
every  meal.  He  emptied  his  drinking-horn  at  every 
health.  He  sat  as  host  in  the  high-seat,  and  still  on 
the  last  day  of  the  feast  his  spirits  were  unequalled,  his 
thinking  power  unaffected.  He  held  out  till  the  last 
guest  had  left  the  place.  Then  the  spring  had  already 
done  its  work.  The  snow  had  gone.  Everywhere  one 
caught  glimpses  of  the  first  signs  of  summer's  approach- 
ing splendour. 

The  next  day  Orn  lay  dead  in  his  bed.  His  right 
hand  clasped  the  knife  with  which  he  had  just  succeeded 
in  cutting  the  sign  of  the  Hammer  on  his  breast.  He 
had  secured  his  seat  in  Valhalla. 

Thus  died  Orn.  His  death  did  not  especially  surprise 
Ingolf  or  any  one  else.  Age  and  debility  had  during 
the  last  years  handled  him  roughly.  In  spite  of  all,  he 
had  been  a  chieftain  to  the  end. 


210         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 


XI 

It  was  very  still  in  the  house  after  Orn's  death. 
His  harsh,  irascible  voice  was  suddenly  lost  in  a  great 
silence.  And  this  silence  was  doubly  impressive  just 
after  the  concluded  festivities.  Ingolf  at  once  set  his 
people  to  brew  drink,  slaughter  animals,  and  prepare 
for  the  funeral  feast.  Orn  should  begin  his  last  j  ourney 
with  all  suitable  honour.  But  this  time  the  work  was 
done  without  the  noise  which  usually  attended  prepara- 
tions of  that  kind.  In  Ingolf 's  soul  there  remained  a 
special  sense  of  bereavement.  He  had  always  shown 
his  father  reverence;  now  he  realized  that  he  had  also 
been  very  fond  of  him.  Ingolf  selected  with  care  a  spot 
down  by  the  fjord  where  a  funeral  barrow  would  look 
well  in  the  landscape.  He  caused  a  little  natural  hollow 
to  be  filled  with  potter's  clay;  then  had  one  of  his 
smaller  dragon-ships  rolled  on  logs  thither  and  fixed 
on  the  bed  of  clay  with  its  bow  turned  towards  the 
south.  Orn's  journey  should  be  towards  the  south  and 
the  sun.  When  the  ship  was  settled  in  its  place  and 
shored  up,  Ingolf  traced  a  wide  circle  round  it.  Orn 
perhaps  was  the  last  of  the  race  who  should  rest  in  the 
soil  of  his  fatherland,  therefore  his  funeral  barrow 
should  be  a  notable  landmark. 

Ingolf  collected  a  large  number  of  workmen  from 
his  own  and  Leif's  estate,  and  set  them  to  work  at  erect- 
ing the  barrow.  It  was  to  be  done  quickly.  For  noth- 
ing is  quite  sure  for  a  dead  man  till  he  rests  in  earth 
under  the  sign  of  the  Hammer. 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         211 

Ingolf  sent  messengers  round  to  invite  all  those  in  the 
district  and  many  distant  friends  and  relatives  to  the 
funeral  feast  at  a  few  days'  notice.  He  and  Leif  super- 
intended the  work  at  the  barrow,  and  it  went  forward 
rapidly. 

The  voracious  earth  was  not  to  be  allowed  to  devour 
Orn's  ship,  therefore  stones  were  fixed  everywhere  be- 
tween the  earth  and  the  woodwork.  Outside  it  were 
piled  gravel,  earth,  and  turf. 

Amidships,  round  the  mast,  which  was  hoisted  as 
though  for  sailing  and  so  that  the  roof  of  the  barrow 
might  form  an  arch  over  it,  was  the  burial  chamber,  as 
broad  as  the  ship  and  two  fathoms  in  length,  timbered 
with  thick  oak-beams.  It  was  to  resist  the  pressure 
both  of  the  stones  and  the  earth :  there  should  Orn  lie, 
warm  and  comfortable,  ready  for  his  journey.  All 
was  arranged  with  a  view  to  a  journey  by  land  and  by 
water. 

In  the  stern  of  the  ship  were  stored  up  all  possible 
articles  which  could  be  of  use  in  cooking.  There  were 
iron  cauldrons  of  various  sizes,  with  the  iron  claws  be- 
longing to  them  and  swivels  for  hanging  them  up  on; 
a  large  barrel  for  the  supply  of  the  ship's  drinking 
water,  together  with  other  larger  and  small  oaken 
barrels  with  hoops  of  tough  kinds  of  wood;  different 
vessels  with  and  without  lids,  together  with  wooden 
dishes,  some  in  the  shape  of  fishes ;  pails  with  handles  of 
iron  and  bands  of  bronze  or  wood ;  scoops  of  iron  and 
of  wood ;  knives ;  a  stone  hand-mill  and  a  stick  to  turn 
it  with;  a  frying-pan;  a  three-legged  kitchen-stool; 
axes;  and  many  other  articles.  Some  of  the  wooden 


212         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

ones  were  splendidly  carved,  and  on  others  many-col- 
oured designs  were  painted.  In  the  stern  was  also  the 
ship's  anchor.  The  rudder  was,  of  course,  fixed  in  its 
place. 

Ingolf  further  furnished  the  ship  with  all  that  was 
necessary:  cordage,  sails,  oars,  tent-cloths  and  poles, 
hooks,  oar-forks,  and  other  articles  for  a  voyage.  A 
landing-plank  was  not  forgotten. 

In  the  forepart  of  the  ship  he  placed  a  carved  and 
fully  equipped  sledge,  with  the  harness  and  bearskin 
bags  belonging  to  it.  Thither  he  had  also  brought  a 
painted  and  carved  carriage,  with  a  driving-seat  and 
harness.  Orn's  saddle  was  brought  on  board,  together 
with  bridle  and  reins,  and  all  things  needed  for  a  horse. 
Orn  should  never  be  in  difficulties  regarding  his  land- 
journey. 

Ingolf  had  many  things  brought  into  the  burial 
chamber.  He  filled  several  boxes  with  useful  articles 
belonging  to  a  chieftain's  equipment  and  placed  them  in 
it.  A  bed  and  bedding  were  brought  in,  and  he  gave  his 
father  costly  coverlets  for  the  journey.  He  did  not 
forget  to  supply  a  comb,  so  that  his  father  might  ar- 
range his  hair  and  beard  when  he  presented  himself  be- 
fore the  Ases.  He  gave  him  also  rings,  ornaments,  and 
other  valuables,  so  that  all  should  at  once  know  whom 
they  had  before  them.  Moreover,  he  provided  him  with 
thunder-stones,  small  Thor-hammers,  and  other  sacred 
articles  for  his  protection  on  the  journey,  together 
with  a  money-box  to  defray  the  possible  expenses.  Orn 
should  certainly  not  want  coin.  Ingolf  also  had  several 
barrels  of  wine  and  meat  brought  to  the  burial  chamber, 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         213 

together  with  costly  drinking-horns  to  drink  from  and 
to  proffer.  An  ox  and  a  swine  and  many  other  animals 
had  already  been  selected  for  slaughter.  Orn  should 
suffer  neither  hunger  nor  thirst  on  his  long  journey. 

When  all  these  things  had  been  arranged,  and  the 
barrow  was  already  partially  erected  so  that  there  was 
only  a  wide  passage  to  the  burial  chamber,  and  all  that 
remained  was  to  pile  stones  and  earth  over  the  ship,  the 
day  came  which  was  fixed  for  the  funeral  feast  and 
committal  to  the  barrow. 

A  swarm  of  people  had  collected  to  do  the  last 
honours  to  Orn.  Ingolf  himself  conducted  the  cere- 
monies, both  at  the  temple  and  at  the  barrow.  He  had 
inherited  the  office  of  priest  of  the  district  from  his 
father,  and  now  himself  discharged  the  priestly  func- 
tions. With  the  sign  of  the  Hammer  he  consecrated 
his  father  for  the  last  journey. 

Stretched  on  a  bier,  clad  in  his  splendid  garments, 
Orn  left  his  house  for  the  last  time.  A  golden-winged 
helmet  crowned  his  white  hair.  A  sword  gleamed  by  his 
side.  A  shield  painted  in  many  colours  covered  his 
breast.  Equipped  for  a  chieftain's  journey,  Orn  was 
carried  to  his  burial  chamber. 

The  serf  who  was  selected  and  already  consecrated 
to  follow  him,  for  it  was  not  fitting  that  Orn  should 
journey  quite  alone,  stood  ready,  and  only  waited  for 
the  knife,  with  which  he  was  to  stab  himself,  to  be  given 
him. 

Then  came  Rodmar,  who  in  these  busy  and  restless 
days  had  been  forgotten  by  all,  tottering  on  two  sticks 
hither  from  the  house,  led  by  two  of  his  men  and  followed 


214         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

by  another  man  carrying  a  chair.  He  was  not  dressed 
as  a  chieftain.  Looking  untidy,  as  he  had  just  got  out 
of  bed,  in  clothes  which  he  had  not  changed  for  a  long 
time,  and  with  his  grey  locks  floating  freely  in  the  wind, 
came  Rodmar,  staring  stiffly  and  blankly  with  his  blind 
eyes. 

Rodmar  had  had  a  bad  time  in  his  darkness  and 
loneliness  since  Orn's  death.  He  had  hoped  that  death 
would  come  and  fetch  him  before  the  barrow  over  Orn 
had  been  finished.  He  would  so  gladly  share  the  barrow 
with  him,  and  follow  him  on  his  journey. 

It  was  impossible  to  remain  behind  now  that  his  only 
friend  had  departed.  The  solitude  became  intense  and 
oppressive  around  him,  and  the  pain  of  his  darkness  was 
doubled.  At  last  he  took  the  resolve  to  follow  his  elder 
kinsman  in  death,  as  he  had  always  followed  him  in  life. 

Rodmar  crawled  over  the  gunwale  on  his  crooked  legs 
and  groped  his  way  forward  to  the  opening  of  the  burial 
chamber.  Then  he  turned  and  spoke  to  the  air.  "  Is 
there  wine  on  board?  "  he  asked  in  an  impatient  and 
peremptory  tone. 

Leif  sprang  on  board  and  led  his  father  from  barrel  to 
barrel  so  that  he  could  feel  them  with  his  own  hands. 
Rodmar  shook  the  barrels  to  see  whether  they  were  full, 
and  sniffed  them  distrustfully.  He  chose  one  of  them, 
and  demanded  to  have  one  hoop  knocked  off.  This  was 
done.  Afterwards  he  asked  that  the  tool  for  opening  it 
should  remain  with  him  and  be  close  to  his  hand.  He 
was  also  allowed  to  retain  the  tool. 

His  seat  was  fixed  in  its  place,  and  Rodmar  sat  down 
with  a  long  sigh  of  relief,  as  it  were.  On  one  side  of  him 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         215 

he  had  an  open  barrel  of  red  wine,  on  the  other  a  horn 
filled  to  the  brim,  standing  on  a  little  table,  which  had 
been  quickly  brought  to  the  place. 

Rodmar  borrowed  Leif 's  sword,  and,  baring  his  breast 
with  fumbling  fingers,  cut  on  it  with  his  own  hand  the 
sign  of  the  Hammer.  Then  he  said  farewell  to  Ingolf 
and  the  others  standing  round,  and  in  a  slightly  morose 
and  curt  tone  gave  Leif  his  last  blessing.  Then  the 
opening  to  the  burial  chamber  was  closed  up.  Rodmar 
sat,  as  long  as  they  could  see  him,  motionless  on  his 
chair.  He  had  secured  Orn's  society  for  ever.  He  was 
prepared  for  anything  that  might  come.  A  man  should 
be  able  both  to  live  and  die  with  a  light  heart.  He  had 
drink  for  the  journey,  and  there  is  also  wine  in  Valhalla. 

Ingolf  killed  with  his  own  hand  an  ox  that  was  laid  on 
an  oak-plank  by  the  side  of  the  kitchen  utensils.  Its 
mouth  was  held  open  with  a  wooden  gag  and  turned 
towards  the  south.  He  also  slew  with  his  own  hand 
four  horses,  two  dogs,  and  a  swine.  The  swine  was  laid 
by  the  side  of  the  box ;  the  other  animals  were  taken  to 
the  fore-part  of  the  ship.  The  serf  who  was  to  have  ac- 
companied Orn  was  now  spared,  as  Orn  had  better 
company. 

Stones  were  heaped  over  the  ship  and  all  its  contents, 
and  then  the  barrow  was  hastily  filled  up.  This  closed 
the  funeral  ceremonies.  Orn  and  Rodmar  had  departed 
to  Odin. 

xn 

It  soon  became  evident  to  Ingolf  that  on  that  spring 
day  he  had  not  buried  Orn  only.  He  had  also  interred 


216         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

tdth  his  father  his  home-feeling,  his  peace  and  confidence 
in  this  region  of  his  childhood  and  youth.  Already, 
tfhen  on  the  first  morning  after  the  burial  he  stepped 
out  of  the  house  and  saw  his  father's  mighty  barrow  lift 
its  dome  in  the  landscape,  it  struck  him  all  at  once  that 
the  district  had  assumed  an  alien  aspect.  The  confi- 
dence in  the  contours  and  colours,  which  has  its  root  in 
the  child's  free  look  and  strong,  unconscious  sense  of  be- 
longing to  the  spot  where  he  has  grown  up,  was  gone. 
The  landscape  had  suddenly  lost  its  light  in  his  eyes. 
He  felt  thrust  out  and  lonely.  It  was  not  here  that  he 
should  live  his  life. 

Hitherto  it  had  not  been  really  clear  to  him  what  a 
profound  change  his  life  would  undergo  because  of 
Haasten's  sentence.  The  fact  that  he  was  now  homeless 
had,  as  it  were,  not  yet  broken  on  him  in  its  full  extent. 
Now  he  saw  suddenly  what  Haasten's  sentence  really 
implied  —  a  complete  alteration  of  his  whole  life. 
First,  years  perhaps  must  be  spent  in  search  and  inse- 
curity. And  then  a  battle  for  life  and  death  with  inner 
and  outer  powers,  in  order  to  gain  home-feeling  and 
home-rights  in  a  foreign  land. 

Ingolf  felt  from  his  own  experience  that  the  race 
which  has  not  its  own  soil  to  grow  in  is  doomed  to  mis- 
fortune and  ruin.  The  possession  of  land  stamps  the 
race.  The  man  who  could  be  sentenced  to  lose  his  pos- 
sessions was  exiled  from  the  earth  —  this  was  what  In- 
golf felt  now.  Such  a  man  must  gain  earth's  favour 
anew  by  his  honest  will  to  live  in  peace  on  earth's  fruits. 

Ingolf's  hitherto  unconscious  instinct  of  opposition 
to  force  of  all  kinds  was  now  suddenly  revealed  to  him. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         217 

That  which  had  now  happened  to  him  was  not  unde- 
served, even  if  the  blame  for  the  outer  cause  of  the  mis- 
fortune could  not  be  imputed  either  to  him  or  to  Leif. 
He  had  continued  to  ravage  foreign  lands  and  to 
pillage  people  with  whom  he  had  not  the  least  quarrel. 
From  a  kind  of  secret  cowardice  he  had  suppressed  the 
unwillingness  he  had  felt  in  doing  so,  as  unworthy  of  a 
man  and  a  Viking.  But  now  he  saw  that  law  and  right 
extend  beyond  the  borders  of  one's  own  country.  They 
are  valid  wherever  there  is  land  and  sea.  The  man  who 
aims  at  living  by  force  and  pillage,  not  only  sins  against 
the  law  which  he  carries  within  him,  but  also  against  the 
earth  —  the  sacred  earth,  which  by  the  grace  of  the 
gods  is  so  luxuriant  and  fruitful  that  every  year  it  is 
ready  to  fill  the  peaceful  barns.  As  long  as  the  Ases 
had  still  reigned  undisputed  there  was  peace  in  their 
dwellings.  The  Ases  had  been  driven  to  conflict  and 
war  by  the  dark  powers  who  were  responsible  for  all 
disturbance.  Thus  all  disturbance  and  violence  came 
from  the  evil  power.  Ingolf  vowed  to  himself  that 
from  that  day  he  would  never  lift  a  weapon  against  any 
man  except  to  protect  his  own  and  his  family's  life 
and  property.  That  resolve  somewhat  soothed  the 
disquiet  and  restlessness  which  had  seized  him  when  he 
became  conscious  of  his  homelessness,  and  suddenly  felt 
himself  exiled  from  the  kindness  of  the  earth.  The 
bright  Ases  would  still  grant  his  family  a  home  and 
prosperity  when  they  saw  his  honest  purpose  and  clean 
struggle.  The  earth  would  yet  take  him  into  favour 
again  when  he  no  longer  defiled  it  with  blood  and 
violence,  would  fulfill  his  most  sacred,  yes,  his  only  wish, 


218         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

that  his  family-tree  might  be  leafy  and  strong-stemmed. 
Since  fate  had  granted  him  Hallveig  as  a  wife,  it  could 
scarcely  intend  to  exclude  him  from  the  earth. 

Ingolf  thought  much  of  the  far  and  foreign  land  away 
in  the  west  which  he  was  to  travel  to.  Was  it  there  that 
his  family's  cradle  for  the  future  should  be?  Was  it 
there  that  the  pillars  of  his  high-seat  should  consecrate 
the  earth  for  him? 

He  dared  not  believe  it  yet.  Neither  did  he  dare  to 
go  to  the  gods  and  ask  them.  He  himself  had  to  seek 
his  future  home.  He  must  win  again  what  had  been 
lost  here  by  his  own  fault.  He  wished  to  commit  him- 
self to  the  power  of  the  sky  and  sea  without  first  seek- 
ing instruction  from  the  gods.  He  would  match  his 
own  strength  and  will  against  storm  and  sea  as  a  pledge 
and  sign.  He  would  not  beg ;  he  would  gain  by  fighting 
the  favour  of  fate  and  of  the  gods. 

Now  that  his  father  was  dead,  he  was  himself  the 
eldest  and  chief  of  the  family.  The  responsibility  for 
the  honour  of  the  dead,  and  the  honour  and  prosperity 
of  the  unborn,  rested  principally  on  him.  For  now  he 
alone  wore  the  family  bracelet,  and  now  the  high-seat 
was  also  his. 


BOOK    III 


INGOLF  and  Leif  equipped  themselves  in  great  haste 
for  their  journey  to  seek  the  land  which  Raven- 
Floke  had  last  visited,  and  which  he  had  given  the  name 
of  Iceland.  They  wished  to  be  there  as  early  in  the 
year  as  possible,  in  order  to  be  the  better  able  to  explore 
the  distant  and  unknown  island.  Therefore  there  was 
no  time  to  be  lost.  The  first  thing  they  did  was  to 
acquire  a  trading  vessel,  a  strong  sea-ship,  in  exchange 
for  two  of  their  smallest  ships,  which,  in  all  probability, 
they  would  not  want  to  use  again.  A  trading  vessel 
was  just  what  they  now  needed.  In  the  conflict  they 
were  proceeding  to,  there  was  no  use  for  small,  light 
battleships.  Their  new  vessel  was  certainly  neither 
little  nor  light.  It  was  a  regular  ox  to  look  at.  High 
and  broad,  clumsy  and  solid,  it  lay,  and  the  movements 
of  the  water  only  made  it  rock  sluggishly.  By  the  side 
of  the  long,  slim,  low-decked  dragon-ships,  it  was  seen 
to  groat  disadvantage.  Leif  laughed  at  it,  called  it 
his  rock  and  his  old  woman's  boat,  said  that  it  had  a 
stomach  like  an  old  cow,  and  expressed  his  fixed  opinion 
that  it  certainly  cherished  secret  designs  of  going  to 
the  bottom  at  the  first  opportunity.  But  Leif  did  it 
great  injustice.  The  vessel  was  good  enough  for  its 
221 


222         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

purpose,  even  if  it  was  a  little  slow  in  turning  and  no 
beauty  to  look  at. 

It  had  a  half -deck  at  prow  and  stern  and  a  small  side- 
deck  along  the  gunwales.  The  rest  of  it  was  one  large 
hold,  in  the  midst  of  which  towered  a  great,  solid, 
strongly  supported  mast.  It  was  exclusively  built  for 
the  purpose  of  long  trade-journeys,  and  therefore  quite 
excellently  suited  for  such  an  expedition  in  which  the 
chief  object  was  to  convey  as  much  as  possible.  There 
were  but  a  few  banks  of  oars  fore  and  aft ;  one  might  as 
well  try  to  row  a  rock  over  the  sea.  It  was  not  adapted 
to  be  propelled  by  slender  oars.  The  oars  were  only 
there  to  turn  it  and  to  facilitate  going  on  shore.  It 
was  to  sail,  not  to  be  rowed.  Therefore  it  was  entirely 
dependent  on  wind  and  weather.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  took  the  wind  and  weather  with  a  composure 
and  immovability  which  came  near  to  justifying  its 
nickname  of  a  "  rock."  It  only  had  one  enemy  —  lack 
of  wind. 

It  certainly  did  not  dance  on  the  billows  like  a 
dragon-ship.  It  was  too  contemptuous  of  the  unstable 
element  around  it,  whose  humours  it  only  yielded  to 
when  compelled,  and  then  as  little  as  possible.  It  en- 
tered into  no  brotherly  alliance  with  the  wind.  That 
it  took  into  its  service  and  allowed  to  further  its  ob- 
ject. 

Such  was  the  new  ship,  inspiring  confidence  in  a  high 
degree  and  independent,  both  in  form  and  behaviour  — 
free  from  all  kinds  of  levity.  Storm  and  sea  were  its  — 
certainly  often  somewhat  wayward  —  servants,  but  not 
its  masters. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         223 

Hallveig  took  an  eager  part  in  the  loading  of  the 
vessel  and  in  all  preparations  for  the  journey,  and 
showed  Ingolf  in  numberless  little  ways  that  she  had  no 
intention  of  remaining  at  home.  When  Ingolf  was 
aware  of  it,  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  had  all  along 
known  that  Hallveig  was  like  that.  And  yet  it  gave 
his  happiness  an  increased  fullness  and  weight.  With- 
out inquiries  of  any  kind,  with  a  silent  agreement,  as 
though  it  were  a  matter  of  course,  Hallveig  prepared 
to  follow  him  always  and  everywhere,  to  belong  to  him 
and  to  be  near  him. 

For  Helga,  who  already  went  about  with  a  hidden 
foreboding  of  coming  separation  in  her  mind,  the  spring 
suddenly  became  really  spring  when  she  saw  Hallveig's 
preparations.  If  Hallveig  could  travel  with  them,  so 
could  she.  Of  herself,  Helga  would  never  have  hit 
upon  so  bold  an  idea,  though  not  from  want  of  courage. 
Her  courage  and  readiness  to  sacrifice  herself  where 
Leif  was  concerned  were  boundless.  Her  backwardness 
was  from  an  inherited  fear  of  causing  trouble  and  being 
inconvenient,  and  a  deep  anxiety  not  to  displease  Leif 
in  any  thing  great  or  small. 

Helga  wept  for  gladness  when  it  was  decided  that  she 
should  also  go  with  them.  She  did  not  often  weep  in 
the  sight  of  others.  Her  weeping  made  Leif  quiet  and 
thoughtful.  He  guessed  that  he  often,  for  the  most 
part  through  thoughtlessness,  caused  Helga  grief  which 
she  did  not  show.  For  some  time  his  tenderness  towards 
her  knew  no  bounds,  and  Helga  was  happier  than  she 
had  been  for  a  long  time. 

Hallveig  and  Helga  had  been  at  first  somewhat  shy  of 


224         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

each  other.  Helga  was  in  her  own  way  independent 
enough.  She  certainly  had  a  will,  and  knew  in  every 
case  what  she  wanted.  But  Hallveig's  whole  resolute 
way  of  behaving  and  acting  alarmed  her  a  little.  It 
took  her  some  time  to  understand  that  Hallveig  was  far 
from  being  inconsiderate  and  selfish,  that,  on  the  con- 
trary, she  had  a  recklessness  and  warmth  in  her  devotion 
which  was  apparent  in  each  of  her  words  and  deeds  in 
such  a  decisive  way  that  to  superficial  observation  it 
might  look  like  want  of  consideration  and  self-will. 
Yes,  in  her  devotion  Hallveig  was  certainly  reckless. 
Every  one  could  easily  see  that  she  loved  Ingolf  and 
belonged  to  him  with  body  and  soul.  The  quiet  and 
apparently  cold  Hallveig  displayed  a  peculiar  latent 
warmth  and  energy  in  all  that  she  undertook.  She  did 
not  lavish  smiles  and  caresses ;  that  was  not  her  nature. 
No  one  had  heard  her  speak  tenderly  or  lovingly  to  In- 
golf. But  out  of  all  her  actions  shone  love  and  tender 
solicitude.  An  invisible  fire  burned  around  the  appar- 
ently cold-natured  woman. 

When  Helga  first  became  convinced  that  she  had  at 
the  beginning  mistaken  her  sister-in-law  and  done  her 
injustice  in  her  heart,  a  specially  warm  devotion  for 
Hallveig  broke  forth  in  her  soul.  And  from  the  mo- 
ment that  Hallveig  saw  that  the  reserve  Helga  had 
hitherto  displayed  towards  her  had  been  a  veil  she  had 
covered  herself  with  in  the  presence  of  a  stranger,  she 
embraced  her  also  with  the  latent  warmth  of  her  nature. 

Hallveig  showed  Helga  that  outside  the  house  also  a 
woman  may  be  a  benefit  and  do  good  service.  Even 
when  it  was  a  question  of  loading  a  ship  for  a  long 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS         225 

journey  there  were  many  things  a  woman  could  help 
and  participate  in.  Hallveig,  who  was  never  at  ease 
when  Ingolf  was  occupied  with  the  ship,  from  this  time 
always  took  Helga  with  her  when  she  went  down  to  it. 
She  had  an  amusing  way  of  walking,  Helga  thought. 
She  took  long,  resolute,  manly  strides,  and  her  legs 
were  obviously  legs  under  her  skirts.  Helga  found  it 
difficult  to  follow  her  when  she  was  in  a  hurry,  as  she 
almost  always  unconsciously  was. 

Hallveig  examined  even  the  smallest  details  that  con- 
cerned the  loading  of  the  ship,  with  her  husband  and 
Leif,  and  did  so  in  a  matter-of-course  tone  which 
aroused  Helga's  astonishment  and  admiration.  In 
everything  she  said,  Hallveig  showed  her  practical  sense. 
She  did  not  hesitate  either  to  give  help  where  it  was 
needed.  Her  help  and  advice  were  gladly  welcomed. 
Her  advice  was  advice  and  not  child's  prattle.  It  was 
nearly  always  followed. 

Hallveig  had  a  peculiar  rapid  way  of  surveying 
matters.  This  was  the  best  place  for  this,  and  for  that. 
She  demanded  that  everything  which  might  be  needed  on 
the  voyage  should  be  as  easily  accessible  as  possible. 
Ingolf  and  Leif  had  never  given  a  thought  to  that. 
They  only  thought  of  packing  things  so  that  they  fitted 
in,  took  the  least  possible  room,  and  were  so  distributed 
according  to  weight  and  size  that  the  ship  might  lie  on 
the  water  as  level  as  possible.  Now  Hallveig  showed 
them  that  with  a  little  reflection  all  these  objects  might 
be  excellently  combined. 

Hallveig's  and  Helga's  presence  and  hearty  partici- 
pation in  the  work  —  for  Helga  also  quickly  began  to 


226         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

use  both  eyes  and  hands  —  put  Ingolf  and  Leif  in  high 
spirits,  which  helped  them  over  many  difficulties  and 
trifling  annoyances. 

The  vessel  was  loaded  amid  much  merriment.  Corn 
in  chests,  dried  fish  in  great  bundles,  butter  in  small 
barrels,  and  boxes  of  dried  flesh  and  salt  meat,  beer  and 
wine  in  barrels  —  a  whole  year's  provision  of  food  and 
drink  —  were  brought  on  board  and  packed  carefully 
in  the  great  hold.  But  the  vessel's  stomach  had  to  find 
space  for  much  more.  Small  compartments  had  to  be 
made  for  the  animals  which  were  to  be  taken  with  them. 
A  cow  and  a  pair  of  goats ;  they  could  not  be  entirely 
without  milk.  There  was  also  an  ox  to  be  slaughtered, 
and  a  bull-calf  to  be  company  for  the  cow  through  the 
winter  and  grow  large  and  fat  and  ready  to  be  slaugh- 
tered in  the  spring.  A  sow  with  small  pigs  was  also 
useful  to  have  with  them,  together  with  some  sheep,  and 
a  couple  of  horses  were  simply  indispensable. 

And,  at  any  rate,  there  was  room  for  a  hut  for 
Hallveig  and  Helga.  The  hut  was  Hallveig's  idea. 
She  did  not  wish  only  to  be  with  them;  she  wished  to 
live  on  board  and  to  be  comfortable.  Leif  jumped  like 
a  boy  with  delight  when  Hallveig  put  forward  her  pro- 
posal about  the  hut.  From  that  day  not  even  the  small- 
est thing  seemed  to  him  quite  right  till  Hallveig  had 
expressed  her  satisfaction  with  it.  He  would  rather 
have  Hallveig's  help  in  counsel  and  action  than  that  of 
most  men,  he  declared  decisively.  And  he  was  abso- 
lutely resolved  to  teach  her  to  swing  an  ax  and  to  hurl 
a  spear.  Hallveig  did  not  often  laugh,  but  she  had  to 
laugh  sometimes  at  Leif.  There  was  the  same  complete- 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         227 

ness  and  power  in  Hallveig's  laughter  as  in  all  the  rest 
of  her  character  and  behaviour.  When  Hallveig 
laughed,  there  was  something  to  laugh  at.  She  could 
never  be  imagined  laughing  at  any  one  or  anything  she 
did  not  like. 

So  these  spring  days  passed.  Liveliness  and  activity 
reigned  everywhere.  This  journey  to  a  foreign  land, 
which  at  the  beginning  seemed  so  difficult  to  carry  into 
effect,  so  improbable  and  unrealizable,  became  through 
all  these  preparations  imminent  and  a  matter  of  course 
for  all  those  who  took  part  in  it.  Here  Ingolf  now 
stood  in  the  smithy  and  forged  scythes  to  cut  grass  in 
a  land  which  he  had  never  seen  and  really  only  heard 
a  tale  about.  Who  was  Naddod  the  Viking?  Who 
was  Gardar  Svavarsson?  Who  was  Raven-Floke? 
Or  Thorolf  Smor?  Could  one  be  sure  they  had  not 
imagined  that  land  over  there?  Or  that  others  had 
imagined  them  and  the  whole  affair?  One  might  be 
foolish  to  believe  it,  but  he  was  going  to  get  a  sight  of 
it.  And  while  Ingolf  forged  scythes  to  cut  grass  in 
that  legendary  land  of  the  west,  and  made  spades  to 
dig  in  its  soil,  that  fact  became  firmly  fixed  in  his  mind. 
In  spite  of  all  doubt,  the  land  lay  and  actually  existed 
over  there  in  the  sea.  And,  in  fact,  it  became  more 
than  real  to  him.  It  lay  there  and  spoke  secretly  to 
his  soul;  it  waited  for  him  almost  like  a  friend.  And 
thus  it  seemed  at  last  to  have  a  claim  on  him,  which  he 
could  not  disregard.  For  the  land  lay  there  and  ex- 
pected to  be  taken  in  possession,  as  is  the  right  of 
every  land.  Such  and  similar  thoughts  filled  Ingolf. 
And  yet  he  did  not  guess  that  while  he  stood  there  in 


228         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

his  smithy  and  forged  scythes  and  prepared  implements 
with  which  to  till  the  new  land's  soil,  the  land  took 
him  in  possession  by  help  of  the  secret  power  a  land 
possesses  —  never  again  to  let  him  go. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  had  to  prepare  themselves  to  build 
winter  dwellings  and  to   store  hay  for  their  animals, 
therefore  they  took  implements  with  them,  without  con-  V 
sidering  what  power  the  earth  and  implements  together    \ 
have  over  a  man's  soul.     They  did  not  guess  that  only    ; 
homeless  men  wander  their  free  ways,  which  are  no  ways,    / 
or  rather  that  secret  earth-powers  guide  all  other  steps.   / 

Ingolf  and  Leif  provided  themselves  with  fishing- 
gear  and  nets  for  catching  birds.  They  also  took  a 
pair  of  boats. 

When  the  boat  was  loaded  and  everything  else  was  in 
order  for  the  journey,  Ingolf  concluded  his  prepara- 
tions with  a  great  sacrificial  feast,  at  which  he  made 
abundant  offerings  to  the  gods,  in  order  that  they 
should  grant  him  and  his  fellow-travellers  good  fortune 
and  happiness  on  the  voyage.  Nevertheless,  the  days 
went  by  without  the  commencement  of  the  hoped-for 
sailing  weather. 

These  days  of  waiting  were  hard  for  Leif  to  bear. 
He  became  morose.  Any  kind  of  waiting  was  the  worst 
thing  Leif  knew.  It  made  his  hasty  and  adventurous 
spirit  full  of  discontent.  He  cursed  the  vessel,  called 
it  a  wretched  old  woman's  bath,  and  invented  even  worse 
names  for  it. 

Ingolf  took  the  matter  quietly.  Certainly  he  had 
alread}7  made  his  offerings  to  the  gods,  and  copiously. 
But  it  was  a  special  voyage  they  were  to  make  —  the 


THE    SWORN    BROTHERS         229 

gods  were  to  protect  them,  and  on  wide  and  strange 
ways.  He  therefore  brought  fresh  offerings,  and  also 
secretly  gave  Odin  and  Njord  private  gifts,  besides 
vowing  yet  greater  ones  if  they  would  prosper  his 
journey  there  and  back  and  on  the  way.  This  expe- 
dient helped.  There  came  a  day  with  splendid  sailing 
weather  —  a  sunshiny  day  full  of  light  and  warm  wind. 
Before  midday  all  was  ready  —  the  animals  brought 
on  board,  the  crew  in  their  places  ( Ingolf  and  Leif  took 
only  the  smallest  possible  crew  with  them),  and  the 
vessel  cleared  for  sailing.  Under  a  heavily  bellying 
sail  it  glided  out  between  the  skerries.  Hallveig  and 
Helga  stood  on  the  poop  by  their  husbands  and  watched 
the  shores  glide  past  on  either  side.  Hallveig  was  quiet 
in  mind,  and  felt  only  glad  at  the  fine  day  and  the 
journey.  Sea  and  land  were  all  the  same  to  her,  if 
only  she  had  Ingolf.  Here  they  were  sailing  out  to 
find  a  new  land,  to  seek  a  new  home.  She  was  ready 
with  all  her  soul  to  remain  fixed  in  the  spot  on  the  earth 
which  Ingolf  might  choose  for  them,  no  matter  where 
it  might  be. 

But  with  Helga  it  was  otherwise.  She  was  calm  and 
quiet  enough,  but  her  calm  was,  as  so  often  on  other 
occasions,  only  outward.  The  strong  scent  of  the  pines 
from  the  spruce-  and  fir-clad  islands  they  were  sailing 
by,  roused  a  profound  longing  in  her  soul.  This  was 
the  place  where  she  was  at  home.  There  in  the  house 
down  there  by  the  shore,  which  seen  from  the  fjord  here 
looked  so  strange.  There  seemed  to  be  a  sob  in  Helga's 
soul.  She,  the  faithful,  had  only  one  home.  She  did 
not  at  all  wish  to  turn  or  to  remain  behind,  for  she 


230         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

stood  here  by  LeiPs  side.  But  she  felt  as  though  her 
heart  were  being  split  asunder  and  her  soul  divided. 
For  this  place  which  she  now  left,  to  return  to  it  next 
spring  only  for  a  time,  had  shared  with  her  happi- 
ness and  solitude.  There  was  hardly  a  stone  in  the 
house  which  she  had  not  patted  with  her  hand  and  made 
her  confidant  in  joy  or  sorrow.  She  was  bound  to  the 
house  and  the  surroundings  of  her  childhood  with  ties 
which  could  not  be  loosed  or  cut  asunder.  She  knew 
with  certainty  that  she  would  always  feel  strange  and 
homeless  outside  Dalsfjord.  She  reproached  herself 
for  this  feeling  —  for  she  had  Leif  —  but  she  could  not 
overcome  it.  All  she  could  do  was  to  vow  to  herself 
never  to  betray  it.  Thus  Helga  took  a  secret  with  the 
scent  of  the  pine  trees  from  the  islands. 


II 

Ingolf  and  Leif  sailed  by  the  guidance  of  the  sun  and 
the  stars,  and  steered  directly  westward.  For  the  first 
two  days  and  nights  a  steady  east  wind  filled  the  square 
sail  and  carried  them  steadily  forwards.  There  were 
high  spirits  and  much  excited  expectation  on  board. 
Indeed,  it  seemed  as  though  the  wind  had  been  sent  by 
Odin  with  the  sole  purpose  of  furthering  their  journey. 
But  just  as  they  had  settled  down  in  confidence  that 
they  were  under  the  god's  special  protection  the  weather 
began  to  shift  and  change.  Now  it  seemed,  for  the 
most  part,  as  if  one  or  another  of  the  divinities  had  set 
himself  fiercely  against  them,  or  as  if  Odin  had  suddenly 
become  busy  elsewhere. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         231 

The  wind  took  the  wrong  direction,  and  seemed  unin- 
terruptedly occupied  in  settling  private  accounts  with 
the  towering  waves  of  the  sea.  In  the  course  of  two 
days  and  nights  it  had  gone  several  times  round  the 
horizon  and  varied  through  all  degrees  of  strength  from 
a  moderate  calm  to  what  Vikings  would  mildly  call  a 
storm.  And  then  all  of  a  sudden  it  disappeared.  They 
looked  longingly  for  it  —  east,  west,  south,  and  north 
—  for  though  they  had  cursed  its  vagaries  heartily 
enough,  it  was  still  preferable  to  a  dead  calm.  But  it 
was  absent,  and  remained  absent.  Unreliable  as  it  had 
always  been,  it  had  gone  off  to  other  regions,  and  left 
them  alone  here  in  the  midst  of  the  sea.  There  lay  the 
vessel,  pitching  lazily,  and  making  no  way  at  all. 
Where  they  were  no  one  knew,  and  there  was  nothing  to 
show  them.  Whither  the  wind  had  carried  them,  while 
it  was  still  with  them  and  blew  alternately  from  all 
points  of  the  compass,  they  could  not  find  out.  The 
sun  and  stars  had  only  rarely  been  visible.  The  spirits 
of  all  on  board  were  rapidly  sinking.  Matters  were 
not  improved  when,  after  several  days  and  nights  of 
calm,  there  came  gliding  a  cunning,  silent  bank  of  fog 
and  swallowed  them  up,  blotted  them  out  from  the  eyes 
of  heaven,  swept  all  sight  of  sea  and  sky  out  of  the 
world,  and  left  the  vessel  lying,  rocking  lonelily,  for- 
gotten by  all  good  powers  on  a  strange  sea. 

There  they  lay  while  the  days  came  and  went  —  grey 
days  which  could  only  make  marks  on  Ingolf's  time- 
stick.  For  even  though  Ingolf  was  displeased  enough 
with  these  days  he  kept  a  steady  count  of  them,  marked 
each  of  them  off  on  his  stick  with  the  little  notch  that 


232          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

was  their  due,  and,  for  the  rest,  execrated  them  in 
silence. 

Leif  had  given  up  all  hope  now ;  morose  and  aggrieved, 
he  surrendered  himself  to  the  power  of  chance.  He  sat 
most  of  the  days  on  the  gunwale  with  his  legs  dangling 
outside,  singing  from  sheer  despair.  Only  now  and  then 
he  interrupted  his  song  to  hurl  a  violent  succession  of 
sanguinary  curses  in  a  penetrating,  angry  voice  into  the 
damp,  foggy  air. 

With  every  day  that  passed,  Ingolf  became  more 
silent  and  introspective.  What  was  the  obstacle  in 
their  way?  Were  the  gods  so  much  opposed  to  this 
journey  that  they  were  absolutely  determined  to  pre- 
vent it? 

He  did  not  like  being  questioned  regarding  the  num- 
ber of  days  he  had  marked  off.  The  days  were  quite 
bad  enough  without  making  them  more  by  talking  about 
them.  And  at  last  he  flatly  refused  to  answer  questions 
regarding  the  number  of  the  days.  For  long  periods  he 
would  sit  silent  looking  at  his  stick,  forgetting  to  mark 
the  days,  with  his  mind  full  of  inward  longing  and 
powerful  exorcisms. 

He  heard  that  the  crew  were  talking  about  drawing 
lots  for  a  sacrifice.  Ingolf  was  not  narrow-minded. 
But  he  remembered  the  offerings  which  before  his 
journey  he  had  made  to  Odin,  as  well  as  the  vows  he  had 
made  of  further  offerings  if  the  journey  prospered. 
Odin  had  often  fulfilled  his  wishes  for  less  sacrifices  than 
those.  He  really  did  not  understand  what  was  the 
matter  with  Odin  this  time. 

Hallveig  and  Helga  were   the  only   ones   on   board 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         233 

who,  to  some  extent,  kept  up  their  spirits.  To  Hallveig 
it  seemed  quite  natural ;  they  were  very  well  off,  and  the 
fog  and  the  calm  must  some  time  come  to  an  end. 
Every  morning  she  awoke  with  the  firm  conviction  that 
that  day  the  fog  would  lift.  Helga,  on  the  other  hand, 
had  to  pull  herself  together,  in  order  not  to  be  infected 
by  the  depression  of  the  rest.  Yet  she  was  accustomed 
to  do  this,  and  on  this  occasion  she  had,  besides,  Hall- 
veig's  good-humour  to  support  her.  But  their  good 
temper  seemed  almost  to  put  the  crew  into  a  still  worse 
humour.  Even  Ingolf  —  not  to  speak  of  Leif  —  could 
sometimes  be  impatient  at  their  unconcern.  And  one 
day,  in  answer  to  a  cheerful  remark  of  Hallveig's,  he 
very  curtly  drew  her  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
water-casks  were  seriously  near  becoming  empty.  Hall- 
veig looked  at  him  steadily  and  a  little  astonished.  In- 
golf had  never  before  seen  that  look  in  her  eyes.  She 
went  to  her  hut  without  saying  anything  more. 

Ingolf  looked  round  for  Helga.  She  stood  by  the 
gunwale,  playing  with  Leif's  hair.  When  Ingolf  had 
thus  ascertained  that  Hallveig  was  alone  in  the  hut,  he 
followed  her  into  it.  Hallveig  was  sitting  and  looking 
before  her  when  he  came.  She  did  not  meet  his  glance 
as  usual,  but  remained  sitting  and  staring  into  space 
with  a  troubled  expression  on  her  serious  face.  Ingolf 
stopped  before  her  and  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder. 
Then  Hallveig  looked  up  at  him.  "  It  can  do  no  good 
to  give  up,"  she  said  seriously ;  "  that  will  not  make 
things  better.  Have  you  not  noticed  how  the  men 
follow  you  with  their  eyes,  and  are  disturbed  by  your 
looks?  There  is  nothing  left  us,  Ingolf,  but  to  take 


234         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

things  as  they  come.  The  fog  may  lift  some  time. 
And  since  it  has  not  rained  for  a  long  time,  it  may 
soon  rain,  so  that  we  can  again  have  the  water-casks 
filled.  And  we  have  also  beer  and  wine  on  board,  so 
that  we  can  get  along  for  some  time." 

"  What  makes  me  uneasy,"  answered  Ingolf,  "  is  that 
we  seem  to  be  pursued  by  misfortune,  and  that  I  don't 
know  at  all  where  we  are.  It  might  almost  seem  as  if 
the  gods  had  forgotten  us,  or  as  if  we  had  fallen  under 
their  displeasure.  If  the  fog  and  the  calm  continue, 
and  there  is  no  rain  for  some  time,  it  will  soon  be  all 
over  with  us.  You  and  Helga  ought  never  to  have  been 
taken  with  us  on  this  journey.  I  have  also  heard  that 
the  crew  are  beginning  to  talk  among  themselves  of  cast- 
ing lots.  Perhaps  a  sacrifice  will  be  necessary." 

Hallveig  was  silent  for  a  long  time.  At  last  she 
sighed  deeply  and  said :  "  I  have  never  been  able 
properly  to  understand  how  the  gods  can  desire  human 
sacrifices.  Perhaps,  however,  I  would  have  agreed  on 
this  occasion  if  I  was  quite  sure  that  the  lot  would  not 
fall  on  you.  But  I  cannot  rely  on  the  gods  so  abso- 
lutely. Let  us  rather  wait  awhile,  Ingolf." 

Ingolf  left  her  with  the  firm  resolve  henceforth  to 
alter  his  outward  demeanour.  He  saw  that  the  first 
and  foremost  thing  was  his  duty  and  obligation  to  ex- 
hibit to  the  crew  a  calm  and  untroubled  face,  be  the 
outlook  never  so  hopeless.  The  first  man  he  met  he 
greeted  with  a  cheerful  remark,  and  after  that  day  he 
was  altogether  more  lively  and  communicative. 

When  the  crew  saw  what  an  alteration  had  taken 
place  in  Ingolf,  they  thought  in  themselves  that  he  must 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         235 

in  some  way  or  another  have  received  a  token  from  the 
gods.  Their  desire  for  a  sacrifice  and  drawing  of  lots 
ceased.  Ingolf's  altered  demeanour  inspired  them  with 
hope  and  courage. 

But  the  days  went  on,  and  one  day  the  supply  of 
drinking  water  ran  out.  During  the  night  following 
the  day  when  the  last  scoop  of  water  had  been  equally 
divided  among  all  on  board,  Ingolf  did  not  sleep.  And 
he  could  easily  see  that  Hallveig  lay  awake  by  his  side. 
But  they  did  not  talk.  Ingolf  was  more  and  more  con- 
vinced that  the  gods  had  for  ever  withdrawn  their  fav- 
our from  him.  Perhaps  it  was  their  intention  to  let 
him  miserably  perish  here  at  sea.  Would  they  not  even 
grant  him  to  die  on  land?  Could  they  not  even  spare 
a  place  for  a  funeral  mound  for  him  and  his?  Ingolf 
reproached  himself  severely  that  he  had  involved  Hall- 
veig in  his  own  and  his  race's  ill-luck. 

Towards  morning  they  began  at  last  to  talk  together 
in  a  whisper.  Ingolf  opened  his  whole  mind  to  Hall- 
veig, and  confided  to  her  his  most  secret  thoughts  and 
anxieties.  Hallveig  said  that  she  had  married  him  be- 
cause she  intended  to  share  his  fortunes  whether  they 
were  good  or  bad.  She  feared  neither  life,  nor  death, 
nor  the  displeasure  of  the  gods,  if  only  she  had  him. 

While  they  were  still  lying  there  and  whispering 
together,  Leif  stood  suddenly  in  the  doorway  and 
shouted.  He  had  kept  watch  during  the  night,  and  had 
good  news  to  tell.  The  fog  was  gone  and  the  wind  was 
gradually  rising.  He  had  given  orders  to  hoist  the  sail, 
and  now  only  wished  to  ask  whither  they  should  sail,  for 
he  did  not  know.  The  sky  was  overclouded  all  the  time, 


236         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

and  the  sun  could  not  be  seen.  Would  Ingolf  come  and 
see  if  he,  perhaps,  could  scent  out  the  right  direction? 

Ingolf  was  on  his  legs  in  an  instant.  All  anxiety  and 
trouble  was  blown  away  from  his  soul  by  the  first  puff  of 
wind.  He  took  counsel  with  his  deepest  instincts,  and 
found  a  direction  to  sail  in.  The  wind  was  rather  slack 
at  first,  but  then  it  had  got  out  of  the  habit  of  blowing. 
In  the  course  of  the  day  it  freshened  to  splendid  sailing 
weather.  There  were  birds  on  the  water ;  they  must  be 
near  some  land.  Towards  evening  they  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  dark  streak  ahead,  which  showed  distinctly 
against  the  fog-banks  on  the  horizon.  There  rose  a 
shout  on  board :  "  Land  in  sight ! "  Then  Helga 
wept.  No  one  was  astonished  at  it.  Some  of  the  men 
also  felt  a  flutter  at  their  hearts  this  time  on  sighting 
land  again.  But  Hallveig  stood  quiet  and  undisturbed, 
staring  at  the  dark  streak  ahead.  What  sort  of  land 
was  it?  Were  they  already  there?  That  night  no  one 
thought  of  seeking  sleep  or  rest. 

Early  in  the  morning  they  were  among  some  pre- 
cipitous green  islands  which  were  divided  by  narrow 
straits  with  strong  currents.  From  the  vessel  they 
could  here  and  there  catch  sight  of  smoke  from  houses 
and  huts.  This,  then,  was  an  inhabited  land,  and  not 
the  one  they  sought.  One  of  the  old  men  on  board  had 
been  here  before,  and  was  able  to  inform  them  that  these 
were  the  Faroe  Isles.  That  reassured  Ingolf ;  it  meant 
they  had  not  come  out  of  their  course.  There  was 
great  joy  on  board.  Here  they  could  go  on  shore, 
feel  firm  ground  under  their  feet,  and  provide  them- 
selves with  water.  There  were  some  among  the  crew 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         237 

who  ventured  to  hint  that  the  voyage  had  lasted  long 
enough,  but  a  look  from  Ingolf  was  enough  to  reduce 
them  to  silence.  All  depression  and  doubt  had  been 
swept  out  of  his  mind  along  with  the  fog. 

The  brothers  now  had  all  tubs,  buckets,  together  with 
the  empty  barrels  and  casks  which  were  on  board,  filled 
with  water  from  a  spring  on  the  coast.  When  that  had 
been  seen  to,  they  were  so  fortunate  as  to  get  good 
weather  with  a  stiff  breeze.  It  was  again  possible  to 
sail  by  the  sun  and  stars,  straight  to  the  west.  They 
left  the  Faroe  Isles  astern  and  made  for  the  open  sea. 
The  weather  remained  fine,  with  a  light  breeze  blowing. 
The  wind  was  certainly  somewhat  capricious  both  as 
regards  force  and  direction.  But  it  blew  all  the  time, 
and  that  was  what  was  needed.  Only  seldom  could  the 
vessel  hold  on  a  straight  course;  they  were  obliged  to 
tack,  and  so  the  way  became  somewhat  uncertain.  Still 
they  made  progress. 

On  the  seventh  day  after  leaving  the  Faroes  they  at 
last  sighted  land.  A  large  and  wide-stretching  land, 
crowned  by  white  glaciers  behind  blue  mountains,  and 
land  with  broad,  open  fjords  and  bright  streams  which 
wound  down  green  mountain-sides,  rose  from  the  sea 
before  their  wondering  eyes. 

This  must  be  the  land  they  sought.  Here  then  it  lay, 
solitary  and  uninhabited,  far  away  in  the  uttermost 
part  of  the  sea.  It  lay  silent  and  patient,  expecting 
them. 

The  land  greeted  them  with  sunshine  and  summer  and 
blue  mountains.  Majestic  it  lay  there,  with  skyward 
towering  promontories  and  broad  mouths  of  fjords 


23&         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

which,  like  open  arms,  offered  them  a  royal  welcome. 
No  other  land  had  ever  received  them  with  such  a  festal 
and  solemn  greeting  as  this  gave  them. 

A  strange  silence  spread  on  board  the  vessel.  It  was 
early  in  the  morning  that  they  sailed  into  a  fjord  full  of 
swans.  The  blue  surface  of  the  fjord  was  completely 
covered  with  these  white  birds,  which,  with  proudly 
lifted  necks  and  in  great  flocks,  swam  to  one  side  as  the 
ship  glided  on.  Many  other  birds  swam  among  them  — 
variegated  eider-ducks  and  handsome  water-fowl.  But 
one  did  not  notice  them  because  of  the  white  swans. 
Hallveig  named  the  fjord  Svanefjord. 

The  brothers  had  chosen  this  fjord  because  it  was 
protected  by  a  little  group  of  islands  which  might  make 
it  more  secure  as  a  winter  haven  than  the  open  fjords. 
They  tacked  a  little  to  and  fro,  using  a  corner  of  their 
sail,  and  surveyed  the  land.  Bare  mountains  rose  on 
either  hand.  On  the  north  was  a  strip  of  fertile  land 
along  the  fjord;  on  the  east  side  the  waves  broke  freely 
at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  The  land  at  the  end  of 
the  fjord  semed  fertile  and  inviting,  but  they  could  not 
find  a  landing-place  which  suited  them. 

Ingolf  proposed  that  they  should  inspect  a  little  more 
closely  the  nearest  fjord  south  of  the  one  they  were  in. 
He  had  seen  from  the  ship  that  there  lay  a  broad  fjord 
sheltered  by  a  small,  low  group  of  islands. 

They  tacked  past  a  promontory  and  entered  the  other 
fjord.  It  was  both  broader  and  deeper  than  the  one 
they  had  just  come  from,  but  was  likewise  full  of  swans ! 
Hallveig  laughed  with  gladness  when  she  saw  it.  This 
fjord  also  must  be  called  "  Svanefjord,"  she  declared. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         239 

They  might  be  called  North  and  South.  She  did  not 
know  there  were  so  many  swans  to  be  found  in  the  world. 
"  Birds  love  this  land,"  she  said  to  herself. 

Helga  stood  by  her  side.  She  compelled  herself  to 
smile  and  share  Hallveig's  gladness,  but  her  heart  was 
full  of  pain,  for  the  beautiful  land  she  saw  here,  and 
which  Hallveig  already  seemed  to  love,  could  never  be 
hers.  She  saw  the  swans,  the  mountains,  and  the  green 
dales.  But  in  her  heart  there  was  no  room  for  anything 
but  a  quiet,  slightly  strange  emotion.  The  scent  of  the 
pines  from  the  islands  at  home  was  too  keen  in  her  mem- 
ory. Ingolf  and  Leif  stood  silent  and  in  a  solemn  mood, 
side  by  side;  they  loked  at  the  land  and  did  not  say  a 
word.  They  had  stood  thus  a  long  time  when  Ingolf 
turned  to  his  brother  and  said  quietly :  "  What  do  you 
think  of  the  land,  Leif?  " 

"  It  is  a  big  land  and  seems  a  good  one,"  answered 
Leif,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  If  only  most  of  it  was  not  barren  mountain,"  said 
Ingolf,  but  his  voice  lacked  the  reservation  which  his 
words  expressed. 

"  I  think  we  might  soon  feel  at  home  among  these 
mountains,"  said  Leif. 

"  It  does  not  look  unfriendly,"  Ingolf  admitted. 

In  his  inmost  heart  he  was  deeply  moved.  The 
strength  and  sternness  of  the  mountains  filled  his  mind 
with  a  peculiar  excitement.  Among  these  mountains 
the  green  dales  and  fertile  stretches  of  land,  which  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  at  the  end  of  the  fjord,  assumed 
a  doubly  home-like  aspect. 

Suddenly  Leif  awoke  from  his  long  reflection  and  si- 


240  THE  SWORN  BROTHERS 
lent  contemplation.  Abruptly  and  unexpectedly,  as 
always,  a  resolve  had  been  born  in  his  mind,  and  aroused 
him.  "  It  is  all  the  same  to  me  what  sort  of  a  land  it  is 
— I  shall  settle  here,"  he  declared  in  an  excited  tone. 
"  Since  I  have  come,  I  think  it  would  disappoint  the 
land  if  I  left  it  again.  And  I  will  not  disappoint  this 
land,  which  lies  here  so  ready  to  receive  me  —  so  much 
is  certain." 

Ingolf  was  silent.  Leif  had  given  expression  to  his 
own  thoughts.  He  felt  so  convinced  at  this  moment 
that  here  it  was  his  lot  to  settle  and  remain.  But  this 
feeling  was  followed  in  his  mind  by  a  peculiar  anxiety 
which  almost  made  him  sorry.  Was  it  a  good  land  — 
a  land  where  one  could  peacefully  build  and  settle,  and 
where  his  family  could  flourish  in  happiness  and  pros- 
perity? Not  himself  alone,  but  his  children  and  chil- 
dren's children  should  dwell  here,  if  he  determined  to 
settle  himself  in  the  place. 

The  brothers  chose  a  landing-place  on  the  north  side 
of  the  fjord,  and  steered  thither.  It  was  with  strange 
feelings  that  they  set  foot  on  this  new  land,  which  from 
time  immemorial  had  lain  here  behind  the  sea  and  the 
distance,  alone  with  its  birds.  On  sea  and  land,  every- 
where the  birds  swarmed.  The  questioning  whistle  of 
the  golden  plover  and  the  rippling  quaver  of  the  curlew 
were  the  first  sounds  that  greeted  them  as  they  trod 
the  stones  of  the  shore. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  immediately  set  the  crew  to  work  to 
bring  the  animals  on  land  and  to  unload  the  vessel. 
They  themselves  proceeded  to  pitch  their  tents,  after 
having  selected  a  spot  with  thick  green  grass,  well 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         241 

protected  from  wind  and  weather  by  a  projection  of 
rock,  and  close  to  the  brink  of  a  small,  clear  stream. 
The  kitchen  utensils  were  brought  up,  and  a  fire  kindled. 
The  shore  was  covered  with  driftwood,  so  that  there  was 
plenty  of  fuel.  Pots  containing  salted  flesh  were  hung 
up;  at  last  they  got  hot  meat  again.  They  could  not 
remember  that  any  meat  had  tasted  so  good  as  this  hot 
salt  flesh  after  the  dried  fish,  preserved  flesh,  and  hard 
and  finally  mouldy  bread  they  had  had  on  the  sea  voy- 
age. They  baked  bread,  too,  and  ate  it  warm  from  the 
embers.  It  was  splendid  to  have  soft  bread  between 
their  teeth  again. 

Round  them  the  animals  dispersed,  grazing  eagerly 
over  the  fertile  pastures.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  the 
satisfaction  with  which  they  swallowed  the  green  grass. 
Towards  evening  the  vessel  was  so  far  unloaded  that  it 
could  be  brought  ashore  and  rolled  on  logs  over  the 
ground.  They  had  chosen  a  little  cleft  in  the  rocks  for 
it  to  lie  in  shelter  during  the  winter. 

By  the  evening,  when  the  men  had  crept  into  their 
skin  bags  and  had  lain  down  to  sleep,  Ingolf  and  Leif, 
Hallveig  and  Helga,  still  sat  round  the  remains  of  the 
fire,  but  did  not  think  of  sleep.  They  sat  silent,  close 
to  one  another,  and  did  not  talk.  The  night  was  bright 
and  still,  and  dew  was  falling.  The  fire  gleamed  palely 
in  the  night.  Red  ember-snakes  writhed  at  the  bottom 
of  it.  The  fjord  spread  a  shining  surface,  dotted  white 
with  sleeping  swans.  There  was  a  peace  and  stillness 
over  the  land  which  filled  their  minds  with  a  peculiar 
awe  and  sense  of  expectation. 


242         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

III 

The  summer  they  spent  in  South  Svanef  jord  was,  for 
the  brothers  and  their  wives,  an  unbroken  succession  of 
beautiful  days.  There  was  a  peculiar  atmosphere  of 
peace  and  prosperity  about  the  lonely  settlement,  where 
the  fire  burnt  day  and  night  under  the  cliff  behind  the 
tents,  while  on  a  rising  ground  close  at  hand  their 
winter  dwelling  rose  slowly  from  the  ground.  It  was 
a  house  sixty  feet  in  length,  thirty  in  breadth,  which 
the  brothers  were  having  built  —  a  house  with  thick 
turf  walls  for  a  protection  against  the  cold  of  winter, 
and  adapted  to  be  partitioned  according  to  their  needs 
when  they  had  first  roofed  it  in. 

While  their  men  worked  at  the  dwelling  and  gathered 
in  hay  as  winter  fodder  for  the  cattle,  Ingolf  and  Leif 
let  the  days  come  and  go.  And  whether  they  were 
sunny  days  or  the  fog  hung  in  grey,  soft,  gliding  belts 
down  to  the  middle  of  the  mountain-sides,  all  the  days 
had  a  peculiar  solemn  solitariness  and  charm  about 
them. 

The  land  they  had  come  to  was  after  Leif's  heart.  It 
made  quite  a  different  impression  on  him  to  any  other 
land  he  had  visited.  The  sense  of  power  that  brooded 
over  it,  and  the  almost  palpable  solitude,  swallowed  up 
the  unrest  of  his  mind  and  gave  him  peace.  The  moun- 
tains' strongly  marked  and  infinitely  varied  shapes,  a 
little  copse  hidden  among  grey  cliffs,  close  up  to  a 
glacier,  the  heavily  pouring  rivers  in  deep  ravines,  the 
fjords  where  the  swans  swam  among  other  fowls  like 


THE  SWORN  BROTHERS  243 

royal  dragon-ships  among  peaceful  freighters,  a  seal 
bathing  in  the  sun  on  a  rock  by  the  fjord,  not  wise 
enough  to  be  afraid  of  men,  the  countless  birds'  nests 
with  the  snugly  hidden,  different-coloured  eggs  one 
came  across  everywhere,  and  then  the  soft,  downy  young 
ones  hopping  about  between  little  hillocks  —  all  filled 
his  soul  with  a  sense  of  wonder  and  calm  hitherto  un- 
known. 

Ingolf  and  Leif  made  little  excursions  on  their  horses 
in  the  neighbourhood.  They  soon  ascertained  that  the 
fjords  north  of  the  Svanefjords  were  very  poor  in  pas- 
ture-land; the  mountains  descended  for  the  most  part 
steeply  to  the  sea,  while  the  land,  on  the  other  hand, 
seemed  to  become  better  the  farther  southward  they 
went.  When  they  had  made  that  discovery  they  equip- 
ped themselves  for  a  journey  of  some  days  in  order  to 
examine  the  land  south  of  the  Svanefjords  more  closely. 
Over  a  low,  stony  stretch  of  tableland  they  came  to  an- 
other inlocked  fjord  which  was  much  broader  than  even 
the  broad  South  Svanefjord.  The  greater  part  of 
the  upland  of  this  fjord  was,  however,  covered  with 
gravel  and  clay.  Quite  outside  by  the  sea  was  a  stretch 
of  luxuriant  meadow,  and  here  and  there  stood  rock- 
islets  amid  the  sand,  round  which  there  were  large 
green  pastures.  Farther  up,  right  under  the  moun- 
tains, there  was  also  pasture-land,  and  there  they  found 
the  largest  and  most  luxuriant  wood  they  had  yet  seen. 
They  came  to  a  river  with  many  rapidly  flowing  courses 
which  streamed  with  clay-coloured,  turbid  water  over 
a  sandy  and  unsafe  bottom.  But  they  had  caught 
sight  of  some  sharp  mountain-peaks  far  to  the  south- 


244  THE  SWORN  BROTHERS 

west,  and  since  it  could  scarcely  be  difficult  to  cross 
the  ravines  between  them,  they  resolved  to  proceed 
thither  and  see  what  was  to  be  found  on  the  other  side. 
It  was  generally  the  case  with  this  land,  that  one  was 
not  satisfied  till  one  had  seen  what  there  was  on  the 
other  side  of  all  the  mountains  which  came  in  view. 
They  passed  with  some  difficulty  the  dangerous  river- 
current,  and  rode  farther  along  high,  steep  mountain 
declivities  striped  with  many-coloured  gravel. 

They  found  a  ravine  between  the  mountain-peaks, 
and  when  they  had  reached  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tains, there  opened  on  them,  while  they  rode  along  the 
edge  of  the  steep  descents  which  led  down  to  the  low- 
land, a  view,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  seen. 
A  fjord  dotted  with  small  green  islands,  wide-stretch- 
ing meadows  and  pastures  intersected  by  gleaming 
watercourses,  a  wide  bluish  ring  of  mountains  which 
locked  in  the  luxuriant  region  with  a  mighty  curve, 
and  behind  all  this  in  the  south  and  west,  glaciers  — 
an  immense,  slightly  arched  stretch  of  sparkling  snow 
with  white  offshoots  to  all  ravines. 

It  was  on  a  clear,  sunny  day  at  noon  that  they  stood 
there  and  surveyed  this  region,  which  arrested  their 
minds  with  a  sense  of  solemn  wonder  and  irresistible 
fascination  such  as  no  view  had  ever  done  before.  In 
his  rapture,  Leif  laid  his  hand  upon  Ingolf's  shoulder 
and  pressed  it ;  he  had  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  his  large 
mouth  quivered.  They  had  dismounted  from  their 
horses  and  stood  silent  for  a  long  time.  And  when 
they  mounted  again  to  examine  the  district  further, 


THE  SWORN  BROTHERS  245 

they  rode  on  in  silence.  From  that  hour  they  were 
Icelanders ;  the  land  was  theirs,  and  they  belonged  to 
it.  In  silence  the  compact  was  finally  and  irrevocably 
solemnized. 

When  they  came  back  from  their  trip,  Hallveig  and 
Helga  had  an  important  and,  as  they  themselves 
thought,  serious  piece  of  news  to  tell  them.  They  had 
one  day  climbed  up  the  green  ascent  above  the  encamp- 
ment, quite  up  to  the  base  of  the  cliffs,  in  order  to 
get  a  wider  view  over  the  fjord  and  the  district.  And 
just  as  they  sat  and  contemplated  the  low  group  of 
islands  and  a  little  island  beyond  it,  they  saw  smoke 
rising  from  the  island.  It  had  been  a  perfectly  calm 
and  clear  day;  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  they  had 
seen  correctly.  They  had  not  said  anything  to  the 
men,  and  they  now  only  wished  to  ask  Ingolf  and  Leif 
to  be  careful,  and  not  to  go  about  any  more  alone. 
Ingolf  and  Leif  immediately  put  the  larger  of  the  two 
boats  in  the  water,  called  some  of  their  men,  and  bade 
them  take  their  weapons  with  them.  They  wished  to 
find  out  what  kind  of  people  they  had  for  neighbours. 
It  was  in  vain  that  Hallveig  and  Helga  begged  and 
prayed  them  not  to  insist  on  going  out,  and  least  of 
all  in  a  little  rowing-boat.  The  brothers  were  too 
resolved  on  finding  out  more  about  the  smoke  from 
the  island.  In  answer  to  their  wives  they  objected  that 
the  ship  was  too  unwieldly,  and  was,  moreover,  not  a 
ship  of  war.  There  was  scarcely  any  chance  of  fight- 
ing ;  if  there  were  people  on  the  island,  they  were  prob- 
ably some  peaceful,  starving,  shipwrecked  men,  whose 


246         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

vessel  had  been  driven  to  sea  and  lost.  For  the  rest, 
they  promised  to  be  careful,  but  they  were  resolved  to 
go  out  to  the  island  that  day. 

So  they  rowed  out  thither.  Even  when  they  had 
got  quite  close  to  it,  they  could  see  no  sign  that  it  was 
inhabited.  They  rowed  round  it,  and  still  saw  no  in- 
habitants or  buildings.  They  determined  to  land,  and 
chose  a  creek  on  the  south  side  of  the  island.  As 
soon  as  they  had  landed,  they  saw  a  wretched  little 
boat,  in  which  they  would  hardly  have  trusted  them- 
selves to  cross  a  fjord,  hidden  among  the  rocks.  They 
went  farther  up  on  the  island,  and  found  a  hut  well 
concealed  in  a  hollow. 

As  they  approached,  a  man  came  forth  in  a  splen- 
did cloak  and  head-dress,  with  a  staff  in  his  hands, 
and  followed  by  some  lean  shapes  black  with  dirt,  and 
meanly  clad.  They  came  out  from  the  hut,  but  re- 
mained standing  before  the  door,  without  going  to- 
wards them.  They  had  seen  this  kind  of  people  be- 
fore, and  immediately  perceived  that  they  had  what 
were  called  Irish  monks  before  them. 

Both  Leif  and  Ingolf,  as  well  as  several  of  their  men, 
knew  some  Irish,  and  therefore  went  nearer  in  order  to 
hear  a  little  why  these  people  dwelt  here  on  a  desert 
island. 

The  monks,  one  of  whom  carried  a  cup  of  water, 
evidently  did  not  wish  them  to  come  too  near  them  or 
their  dwelling.  The  sworn  brothers  remained  standing 
at  some  distance  and  questioned  them.  The  monks 
answered  their  questions  reluctantly,  but  they  gathered 
from  them  that  they  had  lived  here  for  several  years, 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         247 

that  they  had  long  since  heard  reports  of  this  land, 
and  that  other  monks  before  them  had  journeyed  to 
seek  it  out.  They  had  not  seen  any  of  them,  but  the 
land  was  wide,  and  they  had  remained  here  on  the 
island  where  they  had  first  landed.  This  information 
Ingolf  at  last  extracted  from  the  monks,  with  many 
questions  answered,  for  the  most  part,  in  monosyllables. 

When  the  brothers  could  not  think  of  anything  more 
to  ask  them,  and  were  going  down  to  their  boat  again, 
the  man  with  the  head-dress,  cloak,  and  staff  stopped 
them  with  a  question.  "  Why  had  they  come  hither  ?  " 

Ingolf  told  them  that  they  had  come  here  to  look  at 
the  land,  and  intended  to  settle  here. 

His  words  aroused  a  movement  and  disturbance 
among  the  monks,  and  their  leader  gave  him  to  under- 
stand plainly  that  the  land  was  sanctified  and  reserved 
by  God  for  Christian  men ;  no  heathen  had  ever  settled 
here,  nor  ever  could.  Every  kind  of  misfortune  would 
strike  them  if  they  migrated  hither,  unless  they  first  let 
themselves  be  baptized  and  went  over  to  the  Christian 
faith.  Ingolf  answered  them  quietly  that  they  must 
grant  him  that  it  would  ill  become  him  to  be  less  faithful 
to  his  gods  than  they  were  to  theirs.  The  monk  an- 
swered that  heathen  did  not  trust  in  gods  but  in  idols. 
Ingolf  answered  that  the  Ases  had  hitherto  protected 
him  and  his  family.  Then  bidding  them  farewell,  he 
went  off,  followed  by  Leif  and  his  men.  They  saw  the 
monks  sprinkling  with  water  the  places  where  they  had 
trod.  Then  Ingolf  smiled  and  Leif  laughed  aloud. 
The  monks  sprinkled  even  the  waves  which  had  licked 
the  heathen's  boat. 


248          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

When  Ingolf  and  Lcif  returned,  they  were  able  to 
quiet  Plallveig  and  Helga  with  the  news  that  they  were 
peaceful  and  harmless  people  who  inhabited  the  little 
island.  Their  only  weapon  was  a  little  water  in  a  cup ! 
After  that  they  called  the  island  "  Monks'  Island." 
When  the  autumn  came  with  cold  and  sleet  the  sworn 
brothers  already  sat  warm  in  their  turf-house.  Before 
the  dwelling  Ingolf  had  caused  to  be  built  a  smaller 
edifice,  where  he  set  up  small,  roughly  carved  wooden 
images  of  Odin  and  Thor.  And  when  the  time  for  the 
autumn  sacrificial  feast  was  come,  he  offered  them  an 
ox  (they  must  share  the  offering  as  best  they  could), 
and  had  a  little  feast. 

Leif  held  aloof  from  all  things  of  that  sort.  During 
the  twenty-four  hours  of  the  feast,  he  went  out  catch- 
ing birds  by  day  and  slept  quietly  in  his  bed  by  night. 
In  his  lonely  wanderings  the  brown  leaves  of  the  autumn 
rustled  round  his  feet  and  spoke  to  him.  Leif  did  not 
think  much  about  catching  birds.  He  enjoyed  being 
alone  with  the  mountains  and  the  blue  sky.  Wherever 
he  met  a  family  of  grouse  who  held  faithfully  together 
he  let  them  go.  He  only  aimed  at  solitary  birds,  caught 
them  round  the  neck  with  a  practised  fling  of  his  light 
line,  and  drew  them  to  himself  with  one  sweep  through 
the  air. 

Ingolf's  sacrificial  feast  and  all  his  devotion  to  the 
gods  was  a  continually  recurring  trial  to  Leif's 
brotherly  feeling.  He  could  not  reconcile  himself  to 
Ingolf's  constant  and  devoted  adherence  to  the  worship 
of  these  ugly  wooden  idols.  Time  after  time  he  was 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         249 

obliged,  in  order  to  control  his  rising  displeasure,  to 
remind  himself  that  Ingolf  never  interfered  in  his  beliefs 
and  thoughts  concerning  the  gods,  and  therefore  had  a 
right  to  expect  the  same  from  him.  But  in  his  heart 
Leif  scorned  and  despised  Ingolf's  gods,  and  it  was  in- 
evitable that  some  of  this  violent  antipathy  should  some- 
times glance  on  his  brother. 

Singularly  enough,  on  the  other  hand,  Leif  did  not 
take  it  at  all  ill  that  Helga  held  fast  to  her  own  and  her 
fathers'  faith,  without  its  being  clear  to  him  that  he 
possessed  in  that,  as  it  were,  a  proof  of  her  steadfast- 
ness. He  did  not  at  all  wish  that  Helga  should  forsake 
her  gods  to  follow  him  in  his  want  of  faith  and  contempt 
for  them.  The  day  that  she  did  so  would  have  given 
a  severe  blow  to  Leif's  happiness.  So  and  no  otherwise 
was  his  nature. 

The  winter  came  with  hard  frost  but  without  much 
snow.  The  weather  for  ski-ing,  which  Ingolf  and  Leif 
were  waiting  for  in  order  to  show  Hallveig  and  Helga 
a  little  of  the  country  south  of  the  Svanefjords,  did  not 
come.  Their  disappointment  was,  however,  mitigated 
by  the  fact  that  their  sheep  and  goats  could,  contrary 
to  expectation,  go  out  and  get  their  food  the  whole  of 
the  winter,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  stormy  days. 
The  brothers  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  a  land 
where  relatively  few  people  might  possess  many  sheep. 
They  also  noticed  that  sheep  and  goats  both  in  winter 
and  summer  went  up  to  the  mountains  and  did  not  re- 
main below  in  the  luxuriant  pastures.  It  was  evident 
that  the  grass  they  grazed  among  the  stones  upon  the 


250         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 
apparently    barren    mountains    must    be    of    peculiar 
strength,  for  the  sheep's  bodies  remained  stout  and  their 
wool  white. 

The  goats  had  found  some  holes  in  the  mountain  near 
the  house.  There  they  remained  at  night,  took  refuge 
there  in  bad  weather,  and  were  comfortable. 

In  spite  of  the  short  days  and  long  nights  and  the 
great  solitude  the  winter  proved  by  no  means  long. 
Neither  the  brothers  nor  Hallveig  nor  Helga  felt  the 
solitude  oppressive ;  it  brought  them  into  closer  intimacy 
with  each  other  in  a  way  that  no  summer  days  could 
have  done.  They  sat  round  the  fire,  busy  with  their 
little  occupations,  and  talked  cheerfully  and  confiden- 
tially together.  Ingolf  and  Leif  carved  wood,  Hallveig 
and  Helga  spun  yarn  and  dyed  it  in  different  shades  of 
heather-colour,  made  mittens  and  handkerchiefs,  or  ar- 
tistically woven  bands  of  it. 

In  the  middle  of  the  winter  Hallveig  gave  birth  to 
a  boy,  whom  Ingolf  sprinkled  with  his  own  hand  with 
water  and  named  Thorsten  after  Thor,  and  in  remem- 
brance of  his  former  friend,  Haasten,  from  whom  fate 
had  so  painfully  severed  him.  When  Hallveig  had  given 
birth  to  her  boy,  Helga  became  extremely  solitary  in 
soul.  She  never  could  find  any  sign  that  she  was  with 
child.  When  no  one  could  see  her,  she  wept  bitter  tears 
about  it,  but  gave  no  outward  sign.  Outwardly  she  was 
uniformly  cheerful  and  bright,  and  showed  to  each  and 
all  an  untroubled  demeanour.  It  was  something  she 
kept  to  herself,  like  the  scent  of  the  pines  from  the 
islands.  Spring  came,  with  mildness  in  the  air  and 
vernal  winds.  As  soon  as  it  could  be  managed,  the  ship 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         251 

was  launched,  loaded,  and  made  fit  for  sea.  The  sworn 
brothers  needed  as  much  as  possible  of  the  summer  to 
make  preparations  for  their  migration  here  the  next 
spring,  to  exchange  those  of  their  movable  goods  and 
the  live-stock  which  they  could  not  take  with  them 
for  useful  wares,  and  in  general  to  arrange  their  affairs 
in  Norway  before  they  left  the  country  for  good.  All 
of  them,  except  Helga,  left  the  new  land,  though  they 
had  only  been  there  a  year,  with  regret.  The  land  had 
been  a  good  friend  to  them,  and  they  were  loth  to  bid 
it  farewell  even  for  a  short  time.  When  they  sailed 
away  from  it,  it  lay  there  so  quiet  and  silent,  gazing 
after  them,  as  it  were.  Before  they  departed,  the  mi- 
gratory birds  had  all  come  back.  The  land  lay  bathed 
in  sunshine,  with  cheerful  bird-life  on  the  fjord  and  on 
the  shore. 

Leif,  the  restless,  was  no  more  eager  for  journeys. 
He  would  rather  have  remained  where  he  was,  and  not 
have  travelled  to  Norway  at  all,  But  even  Leif  had  to 
grant  that  the  plan  was  impracticable.  The  provisions 
for  the  journey,  which  they  had  brought  with  them,  were 
rapidly  decreasing,  and,  moreover,  it  would  be  difficult 
for  Ingolf  when  he  came  back  to  find  just  the  same  spot 
in  the  land,  dependent  as  he  was  on  weather  and  sea. 
Besides,  Leif  saw  clearly  that  Helga,  though  she  had 
unhesitatingly  acquiesced  in  his  wild  proposal,  preferred 
that  they  should  travel  with  the  others.  Helga  was 
willing  to  sacrifice  everything  for  Leif,  even  the  scent 
of  the  pines  from  the  islands  at  home.  But  when  she 
gave  her  brave  assent  to  remain,  her  self-command  failed 
her  a  little,  and  her  lips  quivered  slightly.  The  whole 


252         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

winter  she  had  looked  forward  with  joy  to  the  moment 
when  she  should  sail  between  the  islands  to  Dalsfjord. 
Like  a  secret  treasure,  she  had  concealed  the  conscious- 
ness that  that  was  in  store  for  her,  in  her  steadfast 
heart.  That  remained  there  till  Leif  started  with  the 
others.  But  when  he  sailed  away  from  the  land,  the 
old  unrest  was  again  awake  in  his  soul. 


IV 

The  brothers  were  favoured  by  a  good  wind  as  they 
crossed  the  sea  to  Norway.  Only  ten  days  after  they 
had  sailed  out  between  the  skerries  outside  the  Svane- 
fjords,  the  vessel  lay  before  Ingolf's  house  in  Dalsfjord. 

When  they  disembarked,  it  was  only  Helga  who  felt 
as  though  she  had  come  home.  Ingolf  and  Leif  had 
already  separated  themselves  in  their  hearts  from  their 
birthplace,  and  Hallveig,  whose  home  was  wherever 
Ingolf  was,  had  never  been  intimately  acquainted  with 
this  district. 

Leif  had  already  on  the  return  journey  expressed  his 
wish  to  go  on  a  Viking  expedition  in  the  summer.  He 
gave  many  reasons  —  among  others,  that  he  needed 
serfs.  Further,  he  alleged  that  it  was  the  simplest  way 
of  obtaining  goods  for  their  journey  to  Iceland  the  next 
spring.  Ingolf  could  arrange  their  affairs  in  Dalsfjord 
while  he  was  out  trading  for  them  both.  Leif  spoke 
much  about  this  important  trading  and  about  his  very 
inconvenient  want  of  serfs.  They  were  dear  to  buy, 
and  it  was  easiest  to  take  them  where  one  could  find 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         253 

them.  All  these  and  more  reasons  were  adduced  by 
Leif.  But  he  concealed  his  real  reason  for  the  journey, 
which  was  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  conceive 
how  he  should  spend  a  summer  at  home  at  Dalsfjord. 
His  blood  had  suddenly  become  restless.  His  mind  was 
like  a  bow  which  had  been  long  on  the  strain. 

Helga,  who,  as  was  her  way,  always  left  matters  to 
Leif,  made  no  objection  to  his  plan.  On  the  contrary, 
she  gave  it  her  warmest  assent.  But  now  it  appeared 
that  there  would  be  no  more  sunshine  in  the  summer 
which  would  be  the  last  she  spent  at  home. 

Ingolf,  for  his  part,  knew  Leif.  And  he  was  forced 
to  admit  that  the  arrangement  was  not  a  bad  one. 
They  certainly  needed  goods,  and  would  obtain  them 
most  cheaply  by  fetching  them  themselves.  For  the 
rest,  whatever  private  plans  Leif  had  in  his  expedition 
were  his  own  affair.  It  was  thus  already  decided  on 
the  way  that  Leif  should  go  on  a  Viking  expedition. 

As  soon  as  they  landed  at  Dalsfjord,  Leif  set  to  work 
equipping  himself  for  his  expedition.  He  was  somewhat 
late  in  that,  and  had  therefore  to  hurry  his  prepara- 
tions as  much  as  possible.  He  allowed  himself  leisure 
neither  for  s'leep  nor  meals.  In  great  haste  he  collected 
all  the  goods  which  he  and  Ingolf  had  in  stock,  and 
loaded  his  dragon-ship  with  them,  together  with  the 
other  ship  which  he  still  had  in  reserve.  This  time  he 
had  to  be  content  with  two  ships ;  he  could  not  well  man 
more,  and,  moreover,  they  had  not  goods  for  more  than 
two. 

Only  a  few  days  after  his  homecoming  Leif  sailed  out 
again  from  Dalsfjord  and  left  Helga  alone  with  the 


254         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

pine-tree  scent  from  the  islands.  Leif  did  not  guess 
that  the  pain  of  separation  which  left  in  his  mind  only 
a  fleeting  pang,  filled  Helga  with  burning  anxiety  and 
unrest,  which  should  not  vanish  till  she  had  him  again. 

Leif  sailed  out  over  the  sea  and  let  the  sea-breezes, 
the  sense  of  solitary  independence,  together  with  the 
expectation  of  dangers  and  adventures,  absorb  his 
mind. 

He  sailed  to  Ireland,  and  traded  and  ravaged  wher- 
ever he  came.  This  time  Ingolf  had  forgotten  to  ex- 
act any  promises  of  caution  from  him.  Leif  had  lat- 
terly appeared  to  him  so  altered  that  he  simply  had  not 
considered  it  necessary.  Leif  was  therefore  completely 
free,  unfettered  by  promises  or  considerations  of  any 
kind.  And  in  the  consciousness  that  this  was  now  the 
last  time  he  was  on  a  Viking  expedition,  he  displayed  a 
daring  and  exuberance  in  his  conduct  which  filled  his 
men  with  joy  and  sent  several  of  them  to  Odin. 

During  the  summer  Leif  acquired,  more  by  pillaging 
than  by  commercial  genius,  a  very  large  supply  of  all 
kinds  of  goods,  mostly  valuable  cloths  and  metals.  In 
the  course  of  the  summer  he  succeeded  in  catching  ten 
serfs  —  ten  wiry,  grimy  men  —  who  bore  names  like 
Duftak,  Gerrod,  Skjoldbjarn,  Haldor,  Drafdrit,  and 
the  like,  sour-looking  men  with  evil  eyes,  but  good 
enough  as  serfs,  tough  at  rowing  as  they  sat  chained 
to  the  oars,  and  enduring  in  all  kinds  of  work.  Luck, 
which  only  unwillingly  forsakes  the  bold,  followed  Leif 
wherever  he  went.  On  one  occasion,  towards  the  close 
of  the  summer,  it  nearly  went  ill  with  him. 

He  had  landed  with  his  men  on  an  apparently  de- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         255 

serted  coast,  which  was  protected  by  skerries  and  rocky 
islands  with  strong  currents  between  them  —  a  place 
which  only  Leif  could  think  suitable  for  landing.  He 
caused  his  ships,  loaded  with  the  costly  booty  of  the 
summer,  to  be  rowed  in  between  these  skerries,  in  order 
to  hide  them  in  a  rocky  creek,  which  he  had  selected 
during  a  solitary  excursion,  while  he  with  his  men  went 
for  a  foray  in  the  neighbourhood.  For  this  expedition 
he  needed  as  many  of  his  men  as  possible,  the  object 
being  a  very  large  and  presumably  rich  town.  Leif 
left  the  ships  in  the  creek  with  only  a  few  men  to  look 
over  the  chained  serfs,  whom  he  dared  not  allow  to  go 
free  as  long  as  he  was  so  near  their  native  place. 

With  the  rest  of  his  men  Leif  went  on  shore  and  be- 
took himself  to  the  wood.  They  were  all  full  of  great 
excitement  and  expectation.  This  was  to  be  the  last 
great  adventure  of  the  summer,  and  Leif  expected  a 
booty  which  might  perhaps  make  it  necessary  to  con- 
quer a  vessel  to  carry  it  in.  Time  would  show! 

The  wood  they  intended  to  cross  covered  a  steep 
mountain-side,  from  the  summit  down  to  the  coast,  and 
it  was  traversed  by  deep,  rocky  ravines  covered  with 
bushes.  Leif  and  his  men  had  not  penetrated  far  into 
this  very  impassable  wood  when  they  were  attacked  by 
an  armed  force  far  superior  to  their  own.  The  people 
of  the  town  must  have  had  spies  out  along  the  coast. 
They  were  not  only  outwardly  but  really  prepared  for 
their  coming.  Leif  had  just  shouted  to  his  men  to 
fight  each  for  himself,  first  and  foremost  to  get  away 
and  save  the  ships,  when  the  enemy  was  on  them  with 
strident  war-cries  and  loud  clashing  of  weapons.  Leif 


256          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

had  no  time  to  see  how  his  men  fared.  The  people  of 
the  town  had  at  once  seen  who  was  the  leader,  and 
since  it  was  the  leader  whom  it  was  the  most  important 
to  strike,  they  nocked  round  him  with  lifted  axes  and 
upraised  swords.  Leif  had  to  sacrifice  his  spear  to  one 
of  the  two  nearest  attackers ;  the  other's  head  he  split 
with  his  ax,  but  next  moment  a  swarm  of  howling  Irish 
were  pressing  on  him.  They  did  not,  however,  surround 
him,  a  fact  which  Leif,  who  was  striking  doughtily  about 
him  with  ax  in  one  hand  and  sword  in  the  other  —  his 
shield  he  had  thrown  away  —  had  no  time  to  think 
about.  They  pressed  him  back  in  between  the  trees. 

Leif,  who  at  the  moment  only  thought  that  six  was  the 
smallest  number  he  could  reas&nably  take  with  him  to 
Valhalla,  and  was  still  short  of  two,  suddenly  lost  his 
foothold.  It  happened  so  unexpectedly  that  his  sword 
dropped  from  his  hand,  but  with  his  ax  he  hooked  him- 
self fast  to  a  tree-root  in  falling,  and  there  he  hung, 
swinging  in  the  air,  over  the  edge  of  a  ravine.  His 
attackers  had  raised  a  great  shout  of  victory  when  he 
fell.  They  now  gathered  on  the  edge  of  the  ravine, 
stood  there  and  laughed  at  him,  and  made  themselves 
merry  at  his  plight.  They  pricked  at  him  for  amuse- 
ment with  their  spears,  while  in  loud  tones  they  debated 
which  would  be  the  most  amusing  way  to  see  him  die. 
A  proposal  that  they  should  slowly  prick  the  life  out 
of  him  gained  the  day.  So  they  began  to  prick  him  in 
turn,  each  of  them  wishing  to  have  his  share  of  the 
pleasure. 

Leif  was  in  a  desperate  situation.  He  looked  down 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  where  there  grew  heather 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         257 

and  bushes.  He  had  no  other  resource  than  to  let  him- 
self fall  and  see  if  he  escaped  with  life.  He  wasted  no 
time  in  reviewing  the  situation ;  he  simply  let  go  and  let 
himself  fall.  At  the  moment  he  fell  he  perceived  that 
men  spread  themselves  on  both  sides  of  him,  to  find  a 
way  down  to  the  ravine  and  to  surround  him  there  if  he 
escaped  from  the  fall  with  his  life  and  whole  limbs.  The 
fall  absorbed  both  his  body  and  his  thoughts.  He 
turned  two  somersaults  in  the  air  and  struck  against 
something  hard;  there  was  a  singing  in  his  ears,  and 
he  fainted  for  a  time. 

When  he  came  to  himself  again,  he  was  lying  on  his 
back  in  some  high  heather  and  staring  up  at  the  light 
green  leaves  on  some  scattered  stunted  trees.  He  had  a 
distinct  consciousness  of  danger  without  at  once  remem- 
bering where  it  threatened  him,  and  grasped  involun- 
tarily after  his  ax  and  spear.  He  grasped  in  vacancy, 
and  when  he  discovered  that  he  was  weaponless,  the 
whole  situation  was  suddenly  clear  to  him.  In  an  in- 
stant he  was  on  his  legs,  satisfied  himself  that  no  bones 
were  broken,  picked  up  his  helmet,  and,  involuntarily 
stooping  to  half  his  height,  set  off,  running  as  hastily 
as  his  somewhat  stiff  limbs  allowed,  into  the  thickest 
part  of  the  wood,  and  took  the  way  down  to  the  coast. 
He  had  already  run  a  good  way  when  he  heard  men 
approaching,  talking  loudly,  farther  down  the  ravine. 
He  halted  and  stood  stiff  and  motionless.  Only  his 
eyes  roamed  round  to  seek  a  hiding-place,  but  he  saw 
nothing  resembling  one  anywhere.  A  little  hollow  in 
the  ground  close  to  his  feet  might  perhaps  afford  room 
for  his  body,  but  by  no  means  could  it  conceal  him. 


258         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 
With  every  moment  that  passed,  while  he  stood  there 
without  any  chance  of  escape,  he  could  more  distinctly 
hear  his  heart  beating.     He  already  imagined  to  himself 
how  it  would  be  to  have  his  entrails  drawn  out  and  to  be 
led  round  a  tree.     But  at  the  same  instant,  when  he  was 
on  the  point  of  giving  up  and  of  flying  up  the  ravine 
where  he  was  quite  sure  to  meet  other  foes,  his  eye  fell 
on  a  large  flat  stone.     There  was  salvation!     Trem- 
bling over  his  whole  body  with  excitement,  he  raised  the 
stone  on  its  edge  and   rolled  it  towards   the  hollow. 
Then  he  lay  down,  wrapped  his  cloak  round  him,  shrunk 
himself  up  as  well  as  he  could,  and  pushed  the  stone 
right  over  him.     There  he  lay  and  heard  his  pursuers 
come  tramping.     From  their  talk  he  understood  that 
they  were  quite  sure  that  he  still  lay  where  he  had  fallen, 
and  feared  that  he  had  broken  his  neck,  so  that  all 
further  amusement  for  them  was  over.     All  the  same, 
they  urged  each  other  to  have  a  good  look  for  him. 
If  they  found  the  red-haired  devil,  he  should  be  flayed 
alive.     Leif  lay  there  under  his  flat  stone  with  a  corner 
of  his  cloak  between  his  teeth.     An  irresistible  convul- 
sive fit  of  laughter  seized  him  and  shook  his  whole  body. 
Every  moment  he  might  be  prepared  for  them  to  raise 
the  stone ;  he  did  not  know  whether  it  covered  him  com- 
pletely.    But  here  he  lay,  and  there  they  went,  rej  oicing 
at  the  idea  of  flaying  him  alive.     Less  than  that  was 
needed  to  make  Leif  merry. 

The  men  passed.  Their  voices  died  away  gradually 
farther  up  the  ravine.  Leif  let  some  moments  pass, 
then  cautiously  raised  the  stone.  After  taking  a  good 
look  round  he  set  out,  crouching  as  he  ran,  to  the  har- 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS        259 

hour.  He  reached  the  shore  without  seeing  more  ene- 
mies. He  stood  for  a  little,  recovering  himself  in  the 
cool  air  from  the  sea.  He  was  tolerably  sure  that  they 
would  remain  so  keenly  on  the  watch  that  he  could 
hardly  in  full  daylight  get  to  his  ship,  if  indeed  he  still 
had  a  ship  at  all !  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  know 
if  things  had  gone  better  with  his  men  than  with  him- 
self, or  if  the  ships  had  already  fallen  into  the  enemies' 
hands.  It  was  really  a  nice  mess  that  he  had  got  into  ! 
When  would  he  see  Helga  again? 

Leif  let  his  gaze  wander  over  the  fjord,  and  caught 
sight  of  an  island  with  some  stunted  fir  trees  a  little 
distance  out.  This  island  was  surrounded  by  smaller 
ones,  and  appeared  to  him,  at  that  moment,  very 
attractive.  His  enemies  would  scarcely  think  of  look- 
ing for  him  outside  the  borders  of  the  land. 

Leif  did  not  reflect  very  long.  He  hid  his  cloak, 
helmet,  and  whatever  might  be  in  his  way  when  swim- 
ming thither,  piled  stones  up  on  them,  and  let  them  lie. 
Then  he  flung  himself  into  the  waves.  He  swam  on  his 
back  the  first  part  of  the  way  in  order  to  be  able  to  keep 
an  eye  on  the  land  and  to  see  if  he  was  noticed.  He 
could  not  see  the  least  sign  of  life  on  shore.  He  reached 
the  island  safe  and  sound,  and  crawled,  wet  and  weary, 
up  its  smooth,  rocky  side.  He  dragged  himself  under 
the  shelter  of  a  stone  where  he  could  lie  and  let  the  sun 
bathe  him  ;  luckily  it  shone  brightly  and  warmly,  in  spite 
of  the  lateness  of  the  season.  He  settled  himself  com- 
fortably and  closed  his  eyes.  Shortly  afterwards  he  fell 
asleep.  He  awoke  from  uneasy  dreams ;  the  light  of  the 
setting  sun  fell  dazzling  on  his  face.  He  had,  then, 


260         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

slept  the  whole  day.  And  what  sort  of  a  coverlet  was 
that  which  he  had  over  him?  Closer  inspection  showed 
it  to  be  a  grey  cloak  of  coarse  material.  Leif  looked 
round  him  with  wide-open  eyes,  and  caught  sight  of  a 
man  squatting  a  little  distance  off,  and  regarding  him 
with  mild,  attentive  eyes. 

Leif  did  not  place  much  confidence  in  the  mildness  of 
his  glance.  Involuntarily  he  felt  around  for  his  weap- 
ons. There  were  no  weapons  there  —  now  he  remem- 
bered the  whole  affair  —  but  the  man  there  seemed  like- 
wise unarmed.  Also,  he  smiled,  and  for  the  rest  was  so 
thin  and  wasted  that  he  could  hardly  be  dangerous. 
What  sort  of  a  man  was  he?  He  looked  ragged  and 
starving.  His  hair  and  beard  were  tangled  like  a  bird's 
nest.  There  was  an  atmosphere  of  death  about  him. 
Only  in  his  eyes  and  smile  was  there  life  —  a  gentle  and, 
at  the  same  time,  intense  life. 

The  man  rose  and  disappeared  behind  a  projecting 
rock.  Leif  thought  this  very  strange  conduct,  and 
remembered,  when  he  was  out  of  sight,  that  he  had  not 
heard  his  step  at  all.  Was  he  still  asleep  and  dream- 
ing? Was  it  a  living  man  he  had  seen  or  a  ghost?  No, 
there  he  came  again,  whoever  he  was.  He  had  bare  legs, 
which  explained  why  he  walked  noiselessl}7,  and,  for  the 
rest,  appeared  altogether  wretched  and  harmless.  This 
time  he  came  up  close  to  Leif  with  some  shellfish,  which 
he  opened  with  a  practised  hand,  merely  with  the  help 
of  a  sharp-edged  stone.  Leif  ate  a  couple  of  the  shell- 
fish, being  ravenously  hungry,  and  would  have  gladly 
thanked  this  friendly  and  strange  man,  but  his  disgust 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS        atfl 

was  too  strong  for  him,  and  he  declared  himself  satis- 
fied. 

Then  the  strange  man  smiled  anew,  an  indulgent 
smile,  and  ate  the  rest  of  the  shellfish  himself.  When  he 
had  finished,  he  asked  Leif  how  he  was,  if  he  could  rise, 
and  how  he  came  to  be  lying  here  on  his  island.  Leif 
trumped  up  a  long  story  about  having  fallen  over- 
board from  a  ship.  "  The  current  had  seized  him,"  he 
said,  "  and  carried  him  hither."  He  found  it  best  at  the 
same  time  to  show  the  man  quite  clearly,  in  order  that 
he  might  make  no  mistake,  that  he  not  only  could  rise, 
but  that  he  was  altogether  quite  sound. 

The  man  smiled  again,  whether  on  account  of  his 
story  or  his  slightly  threatening  gestures,  Leif  was  not 
sure,  and  asked  him  no  more,  but  rose  quietly  and  bade 
Leif  follow  him.  He  led  him  over  to  the  other  side  of 
the  island  to  the  mouth  of  a  little  cave.  "  I  live  here," 
he  said  in  his  gentle  voice.  "  You  are  the  first  guest 
who  has  paid  me  a  visit,  and  the  only  man  I  have  seen 
for  many  years.  Assuredly  God  had  His  special  pur- 
pose in  sending  you  hither,  my  brother,  however  that 
may  have  happened.  If  you  will  share  my  cave  with 
me  for  the  night,  you  are  welcome.  In  the  morning 
you  can  swim  to  the  shore,  if  you  will,  and  are  a  strong 
swimmer.  You  can  also  perhaps  remain  here,  if  you 
prefer  it." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  asked  Leif,  who,  to  his 
astonishment,  could  discover  neither  the  roving  eye  nor 
mistrustful  behaviour  of  an  outlaw  in  this  mild,  quiet 
man.  "  Why  do  you  live  alone  'on  this  desert  island  ?  " 


262         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  I  serve  my  God,"  answered  the  man  gently  and 
seriously,  making  the  sign  of  the  Cross.  Then  Leif 
suddenly  became  aware  that  it  was  one  of  the  mad  Irish 
monks  whom  he  had  before  him. 

From  that  moment  he  did  not  fear  the  man  any  more. 
The  monks  were  peaceful  people,  mad  though  they  were. 
But  there  was  something  mysterious  about  the  man 
which  caused  Leif  to  feel  by  no  means  comfortable  in 
his  society. 

"  How  do  you  live?  "  Leif  asked,  after  a  long  pause. 
The  man  smiled  his  gentle  smile,  and  pointed  to  a  pot- 
shaped  hollow  in  the  rock,  which  stood  filled  to  the  brim 
with  sea-water.  "  At  high  tide  God  sends  me  sometimes 
a  little  food,"  he  said  contentedly,  "  or  I  dive  for  shell- 
fish when  I  am  hungry.  There  is  also  plenty  of  sea- 
weed here.  I  do  not  need  much.  Shall  not  God  who 
feeds  the  birds  also  feed  me?  " 

"  How  do  you  serve  your  God?  "  asked  Leif,  grow- 
ing curious. 

"  I  pray,  fast,  and  lead  a  pure  life,"  answered  the 
monk  quietly. 

"Who  is  your  God?"  Leif  questioned  further. 

"  The  one  true  God,  the  Trinity  —  God  the  Father, 
God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost,"  answered  the 
monk  in  his  gentle  voice,  and  again  made  the  sign  of 
the  Cross. 

"  What  is  His  name?  "  Leif  continued. 

He  had  sat  down  on  a  stone  step  outside  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  and  fixed  his  wondering  eyes  on  the  monk. 

"  He  is  called  Jehovah ;  His  Son,  whose  sacred  name 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        263 

is  Jesus  Christ,  let  Himself  be  born  as  man,  and  shed 
His  blood  for  men,  to  wash  away  their  sins." 

Leif  was  silent.  He  remembered  carved  and  painted 
images  he  had  seen  of  a  God  they  called  Jesus  Christ. 
He  hung  nailed  to  a  cross,  with  blood  dripping  from 
His  hands  and  feet,  from  His  thorn-crowned  head,  and 
from  a  wound  in  His  side.  Leif  had  always  despised 
this  God,  who,  according  to  the  narrative,  had  willingly 
let  Himself  be  killed  and  hung  up  upon  a  cross  of  wood. 
He  did  not  comprehend  the  love  of  such  a  wretched 
divinity  which  could  make  a  man  like  this  monk  live  his 
life  on  this  desert  island,  merely  to  pray  to  Him  and 

thank  Him.     A  powerless   God   He   must  be  —  much 
more  wretched  than  even  Odin  and  Thor.     And  yet  He 

could  obtain  such  power  over  men. 

The  monk  had  seated  himself  on   a   stone  directly 

opposite  Leif.     The  last  rays  of  the  sun  fell  on  his  back, 

and  made  his  grey  hair  glow  like  a  golden  glory  round 

his  head.     Leif  remembered  having  seen  this  gold  ring 

round  the  head,  and  he  sat  and  began  to  feel  quite 

strange  and  uneasy  in  his  mind. 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  about  Jesus  Christ?  "  asked  the 

monk  at  last,  in  a  voice  that  was  soft  and  ingratiating 

like  a  woman's. 

"  No,"  answered  Leif,  not  without  a  certain  fear  in 

his  soul,  which  distinctly  betrayed  itself  in  his  voice. 

"  Tell  me  rather  of  something  else." 

The  monk  sighed  sorrowfully.     "As  you  will,  my 

brother.     The  Lord  is  mighty,  and  I  am  but  the  least 

of  His  instruments.     Perhaps  He  has  reserved  the  grace 


264         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

of  delivering  your  soul  for  another  and  worthier  than 
myself.  What  shall  I  tell  you,  brother?  " 

"  Tell  me  something  about  foreign  lands,"  said 
Leif,  who  had  a  dim  consciousness  that  there  could 
hardly  be  anything  which  this  man  did  not  know. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  about  foreign  lands,"  answered 
the  monk  gently.  "  I  have  not  seen  any  other  coun- 
try except  Ireland.  And  I  do  not  feel  the  want  of 
it.  The  wickedness  of  the  world  is  great  in  the  lands. 
The  Devil  rules  most  lands  where  people  dwell.  The 
Lord  has  of  His  mercy  granted  me  this  lonely  island, 
and  my  only  wish  is  to  live  here  in  peace  till  He  takes 
me  to  Himself  in  His  glory." 

He  was  silent  for  a  while,  and  reflected.  "  But  I  can 
read  to  you  of  a  place  called  Paradise,"  he  said,  break- 
ing off  his  meditations.  Then  he  rose  and  crept  into 
the  low  mouth  of  the  cave. 

A  little  while  after  he  came  back  with  a  roll  in  his 
hand.  When  he  opened  it,  Leif  saw  that  it  consisted 
of  some  pieces  of  skin  covered  over  with  strange  signs. 

The  monk  sat  down  and  began  to  read  in  a  monoto- 
nous and  devout  voice: 

"  There  is  a  place  that  is  called  Paradise.  It  is  not 
in  heaven  nor  upon  earth,  but  between  heaven  and 
earth,  at  an  equal  distance  from  both,  as  it  was  fixed 
there  by  God.  Paradise  is  forty  miles  higher  than  the 
Flood  rose  at  its  highest.  Paradise  is  of  the  same 
length  and  breadth  on  all  sides.  There  is  no  hill  nor 
valley  there.  There  comes  never  frost,  there  falls  never 
snow.  The  earth  is  luxuriant  and  fruitful  there,  but 
there  are  no  evil  beasts  nor  dangers  nor  defects  of 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        265 

any  kind.  There  is  a  pure  well,  which  is  called  the 
well  of  life.  There  is  a  splendid  and  beautiful  wood 
called  'Radion  saltus,'  the  leaves  of  which  never  fade. 
Each  of  its  trees  is  straight  and  round  like  a  spar, 
and  so  high  that  the  top  is  invisible.  There  are  all 
kinds  of  trees  which  stand  in  complete  beauty  and 
bear  all  manner  of  blossoms  and  beautifully  coloured 
apples  and  fruits  of  all  kinds.  There  no  leaves  fall 
from  the  branches.  The  wood  stands  in  the  midst  of 
Paradise.  One  of  the  fruit  trees  was  forbidden  to 
Adam;  in  its  fruit  was  hidden  the  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil.  There  is  neither  hate  nor  hunger,  and  never 
is  there  night  nor  darkness,  but  always  perpetual 
day.  The  sun  shines  there  seven  times  more  strongly 
than  in  this  world,  for  its  light  is  increased  with  the 
light  of  all  the  stars.  There  walk  Angels,  keeping 
all  things  in  order  in  joy  and  pleasure.  Thither  have 
the  souls  of  good  men  gone  (and  shall  go  and  dwell 
there  till  Doomsday)  since  God  opened  the  place  when 
He  took  thither  the  soul  of  the  Thief  who  died  upon  the 
cross. 

"  In  Paradise  there  is  a  bird  which  is  called  the 
Phoenix.  It  is  very  large,  and  wonderful  is  the  fashion 
of  its  creation,  and  it  is  the  King  of  all  birds.  It 
bathes  in  the  well  of  life,  and  then  flies  up  on  that 
tree  which  is  the  highest  in  Paradise,  and  sits  in  the 
sun.  Then  it  shines  with  a  light  like  that  of  the  sun's 
rays.  Its  whole  body  gleams  like  gold,  its  feathers  are 
like  God's  angels,  its  breast  is  Beautiful,  and  its  beak 
resembles  its  feathers.  Its  eyes  are  like  crystal,  and 
its  feet  like  blood.  But  when  this  beautiful  bird,  the 


266         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Phoenix,  flies  from  Paradise  to  the  land  of  Egypt  and 
dwells  there  five  weeks,  all  kinds  of  birds  gather  there 
and  sing  round  it  in  all  manner  of  ways.  Then  the 
men  who  dwell  there  hear  that  and  gather  round  it 
from  everywhere,  and  speak  as  follows :  '  Welcome, 
Phoenix,  to  our  land !  Thou  shinest  like  red  gold ;  thou 
art  the  King  of  all  the  birds'  Then  the  people  of  the 
land  make  another  phoenix  of  wax  and  copper  which 
resembles  the  old  one  as  much  as  possible.  All  the  birds 
fall  at  its  feet  and  honour  it  with  a  glad  voice.  Along 
its  back  there  runs  a  red  stripe,  beautiful  as  burnt  gold. 
When  its  fifth  week  is  passed,  the  beautiful  Phoenix  flies 
again  to  Paradise.  All  the  birds  fly  with  it,  some  below 
it,  some  above  it,  on  both  sides.  But  when  they  cannot 
follow  it  any  longer  they  return  home." 

The  monk  paused  and  looked  at  Leif,  who  sat  bowed 
opposite  him  with  open  mouth  and  eyes.  When  the 
monk  saw  how  absorbed  his  hearer  was,  he  smiled  and 
continued : 

"  It  happened  four  thousand  years  before  the  birth 
of  Christ  (one  millennium  had  passed)  that  the  Phoenix 
had  become  old,  and  gathered  round  it  a  great  number 
of  birds,  in  order  to  bring  together  a  great  pile  of  fuel. 
But  by  God's  will  it  happened  so  that  the  sun  shone  on 
the  pile  of  fuel  and  the  sun's  warmth  kindled  a  fire  in  it. 
But  the  Phoenix  fell  in  the  midst  of  the  fire  and  was 
burned  to  ashes.  But  the  third  day  afterwards  it  rose 
from  the  dead  and  was  young  again,  and  went  to  the 
Well  of  Life  and  bathed.  Then  its  feathers  grew  again, 
as  beautiful  as  they  had  ever  been.  It  becomes  old  in 
the  course  of  a  thousand  winters,  then  it  burns  itself 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        267 

again  to  ashes,  and  rises  each  time  young  once  more. 
But  no  one  knows,  except  God  alone,  whether  it  is  a 
male  or  a  female  bird." 

The  monk  stopped.  The  sun  had  gone  down,  and  the 
dusk  of  twilight  filled  the  air.  He  could  no  longer  see 
to  distinguish  the  characters.  He  rolled  up  his  skin- 
scroll  carefully  together  and  tied  a  band  round  it. 

Leif  had  swallowed  his  words  to  the  end  with  eager 
ears.  At  the  same  time  the  monk's  droning  way  of 
reading  had  had  a  soporific  effect  upon  him.  When 
the  monk  was  silent  for  a  moment,  Leif  gave  a  deep 
yawn  and  felt  a  strange  weariness  in  all  his  limbs. 
The  next  moment  he  fell  asleep  where  he  sat,  with  his 
head  propped  on  his  hands. 

The  monk  let  him  sit  and  sleep  while  he  uttered  a 
long  and  humble  prayer  to  God,  that  it  might  be 
granted  him  to  save  this  heathen's  soul  from  destruction 
and  the  outer  darkness. 

Then  he  awoke  Leif  gently,  and  bade  him  follow  him 
into  the  cave  and  share  his  straw  bed  and  his  cloak 
with  him,  for  it  was  now  cold  outside. 

Leif  awoke  and  saw  that  it  was  already  night,  with  a 
pale  glimmer  of  the  moon  behind  black  clouds.  Now 
the  time  had  really  come.  But  he  was  not  a  little  curi- 
ous to  learn  more  about  the  monk's  cave,  and,  besides, 
it  was  perhaps  best  to  let  him  fall  asleep  before  he  left 
the  island. 

The  monk  struck  a  light  and  kindled  a  shaving. 
Then  he  crept  into  the  low  mouth  of  the  cave.  Leif 
crept  after  him,  and  the  first  thing  he  set  eyes  upon  was 
a  magnificent  sword  with  a  golden  hilt  and  gold  inlaid 


268         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

blade.  It  stood  set  up  against  the  wall  in  the  inner- 
most part  of  the  cave.  It  was  the  most  beautiful  sight 
which  at  the  moment  could  meet  Leif's  eyes,  and  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  avert  his  gaze  from  the  shining 
sword.  When  he  noticed  the  monk's  look  fixed  on  him, 
he  compelled  himself  to  ask,  in  an  indifferent  tone,  how 
it  was  he  possessed  such  a  valuable  sword,  as  he  was 
so  poor  and  peaceful. 

"  That  sword  I  inherited  from  my  father,"  answered 
the  monk  gently  and  as  it  were  apologetically.  "  I 
brought  it  with  me  here  so  that  it  should  not  do  more 
harm  than  it  has  already  done  among  men.  I  first  in- 
tended to  throw  it  into  the  sea,  but  it  is  so  splendid.  I 
have  never  been  able  to  bring  myself  to  do  that,  and  it 
does  no  harm  here  in  my  cave." 

He  took  it  in  his  hand  with  obvious  tenderness,  and 
showed  it  to  Leif.  Leif  dared  not  touch  it  for  fear  of 
betraying  his  covetousness. 

The  monk  stood  and  contemplated  the  sword,  and 
said,  as  though  reflecting :  "  They  who  slay  with  the 
sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword." 

Leif  believed  that  he  was  pronouncing  a  spell  which 
belonged  to  the  sword,  and  smiled  incredulously.  Im- 
mediately afterwards  he  threw  himself  down  on  the 
pallet  of  straw,  as  though  he  were  weary  and  sleepy, 
and  only  thought  of  rest. 

The  monk  replaced  the  sword,  put  out  the  light,  laid 
himself  down  at  Leif's  side,  and  arranged  his  cloak 
over  them  both,  so  that  his  guest  had  a  brother's  share. 
Leif  lay  wide  awake,  wondering  whether  he  should  suc- 
ceed in  finding  his  men,  and  whether  he  should  see  his 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        269 

ships  again.  Soon  afterwards  Leif  heard  the  monk 
snoring,  and  began  to  twist  and  turn  himself,  to  see  if 
that  would  wake  him.  No,  the  monk  slept  deeply  and 
soundly;  his  snoring  filled  the  cave  with  the  peace  of 
sleep  and  night. 

Then  Leif  rose  stealthily  from  the  pallet,  groped  his 
way  to  the  sword,  took  hold  of  it,  although  with  a  little 
prick  in  his  conscience,  and  crept  on  all  fours  noiselessly 
out  of  the  cave,  followed  by  the  unconscious  snoring  of 
the  monk.  When  he  stood  outside  in  the  dark  night,  he 
raised  himself  erect  and  breathed  freely.  He  was  not 
at  all  sure  whether  he  still  had  his  ships  and  men,  or 
whether  all  his  men  were  killed,  and  the  ships  taken  pos- 
session of  by  the  enemy.  But  he  again  held  a  sword  in 
his  hand.  Leif  only  stopped  for  a  moment  outside  the 
mouth  of  the  cave.  Then  with  long,  noiseless  strides 
he  crossed  over  the  island  and  plunged  into  the  water. 
He  held  the  sword  between  his  teeth  and  swam  as  best 
he  could. 

Leif  found  his  cloak  and  other  articles  of  clothing 
where  he  had  left  them.  He  had  much  feared  lest  they 
should  be  gone,  and  the  discovery  of  them  have  served  as 
a  guide  to  the  enemy.  He  put  his  clothes  on  and  then 
began  to  listen  intently  in  all  directions.  When  he 
could  not  hear  any  movement  or  noise  anywhere,  he  set 
off  running  along  the  shore  in  the  direction  of  the  creek 
where  he  had  left  his  ships.  The  last  part  of  the  way 
he  crept  through  the  wood.  He  reached  the  creek  with- 
out having  come  across  hindrances  of  any  kind.  And 
out  there  lay  his  ships.  They  were  lying  farther  out 
than  when  he  had  left  them,  and  to  Leif  it  seemed  a 


270         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

good  sign.  This  time  he  tied  his  cloak  in  a  bundle  on 
his  back,  took  the  sword  between  his  teeth,  and,  thus 
equipped,  swam  out  to  the  ships.  He  swam  as  noise- 
lessly and  cautiously  as  possible,  so  that  he  might  be 
able  to  turn  quickly  if  it  should  prove  that  it  was  not 
his  men  who  were  in  possession  of  the  ships. 

When  he  got  within  a  bowshot  of  the  ships,  his  old 
headman  gave  the  alarm,  and  asked  in  a  grim  voice: 
"Who  goes  there?" 

Leif  answered  with  a  low  whistle,  which  they  all  knew, 
and  there  was  great  excitement  and  gladness  on  board. 
He  had  a  rope  thrown  to  him.  Immediately  afterwards 
he  swung  himself  over  the  gunwale  and  stood  wet  and 
dripping  among  his  men,  with  a  strange  sword  between 
his  teeth. 

"Leif!  Leif!"  they  shouted,  and  all  wanted  to 
touch  him.  Leif  asked  hastily  how  many  men  they  had 
lost.  It  appeared  that  they  had  only  three  killed  and 
two  wounded.  The  rest  had  got  on  board  safe  and 
sound.  Questions  hailed  down  upon  him.  His  men 
had  really  not  expected  to  see  him  again,  and  were 
frenzied  with  delight  and  impatient  to  hear  what  had 
happened  to  him. 

Before  Leif  would  tell  them  anything,  he  questioned 
them  thoroughly,  and  learnt  that  they  had  intended  to 
remain  lying  here  for  some  days,  if  the  weather  allowed, 
in  case  he  should  return,  or  hoping  at  least  that  they 
might  learn  something  of  his  fate  in  some  other  way. 

All  the  men  on  board  the  dragon-ship  were  gathered 
in  a  cluster  round  Leif,  their  eyes  fixed  on  his  splendid 
sword.  Leif  took  off  his  wet  clothes  and  put  on  dry 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        271 

ones.  Then  he  crept  into  his  bearskin  bag  and  shook 
himself  with  a  sense  of  satisfaction.  The  men  took 
their  places  round  him  and  waited  patiently  to  hear  his 
story.  Lying  stretched  on  his  back  among  his  sitting 
men,  with  the  pale  moonlight  flickering  over  his  face, 
Leif  began  his  narrative. 

He  began  with  his  fall  down  the  ravine.  He  told 
them  how  he  had  first  hooked  himself  firm  with  his  ax, 
and  then  had  been  obliged  to  let  go  of  it  and  to  drop 
when  the  men  had  begun  to  prick  him.  He  told  of  his 
awaking  without  a  weapon,  and  of  his  flight.  He  only 
related  briefly  the  adventure  with  the  flat  stone  under 
which  he  had  concealed  himself.  His  men  listened, 
breathless  with  excitement. 

When  Leif  was  about  to  tell  of  his  visit  to  the  cave 
he  suddenly  paused.  He  noticed,  to  his  surprise,  that 
he  really  did  not  like  to  tell  how  he  had  got  possession 
of  his  sword.  But  it  was  precisely  about  the  sword 
that  his  men  were  most  curious  to  hear. 

"  The  sword?  "  asked  the  old  headman  in  a  husky 
voice,  when  he  had  been  silent  for  a  while. 

"  Yes,  now  comes  the  most  wonderful  thing  of  all," 
answered  Leif  reflectively.  And,  staring  at  the  pale 
sickle  of  the  moon,  he  rallied  all  his  inventive  powers 
and  continued :  "  I  had  at  last  come  up  out  of  the 
ravine  and  was  wandering  in  the  wood.  I  do  not  know 
how  long  I  ran  about  without  an  idea  where  I  was. 
But  suddenly  I  stood  at  the  entrance  of  a  great  cave  in 
the  earth.  I  slipped  into  it  in  order  to  let  the  darkness 
hide  me.  When  I  had  gone  a  good  way  in,  I  heard  a 
strange  sound  farther  on  in  the  cave.  I  stole  forward 


272         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

and  caught  sight,  in  the  dark,  of  a  man  who  sat  and 
sang.  His  head  waggled  forward  and  backward  and  to 
the  sides,  and  his  song  penetrated  my  bones  and  mar- 
row. His  eyes  rolled  about  in  his  head  as  though  he 
were  possessed.  His  face  was  yellow  and  blue,  and 
there  issued  a  strong  odour  from  him,  for  he  was  not  a 
living  man,  but  a  dead  one.  A  little  behind  him  hung 
this  sword,  and  it  shone  on  the  wall  of  the  cave.  As  I 
was  weaponless,  my  life  depended  on  my  getting  hold 
of  the  sword.  I  stole,  therefore,  farther  on,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  slipping  past  him  without  his  noticing  me. 
But,  just  as  I  was  going  to  seize  the  sword,  I  stumbled 
over  a  stone  on  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  at  the  same 
instant  I  had  the  dead  man  on  me." 

Leif  was  so  absorbed  in  his  story  that  a  cold  sweat 
burst  out  on  his  forehead  at  the  narrative  of  this  im- 
aginary fight.  His  men  listened  in  deathlike  silence, 
staring  at  him  with  wide-open  eyes,  and  pressing  in- 
voluntarily closer  to  each  other. 

"  So  near  to  the  dead  I  have  never  been,"  Leif  con- 
tinued, and  took  a  deep  breath.  "  You  have  no  idea 
what  power  there  is  in  a  dead  man's  bones.  He  crushed 
me  as  though  with  claws  of  iron.  The  most  uncomfort- 
able part  was,  that  wherever  I  seized  hold  of  him  the 
flesh  slipped  away  under  my  grip,  and  I  held  the  bare 
bone-pipes  with  my  hands.  And  there  was  a  most 
intolerable  smell  which  nearly  suffocated  me.  More- 
over, the  whole  time  he  kept  wheezing  foam  into  my 
face."  Leif  stopped  with  a  groan,  and  with  the  back 
of  his  hand  wiped  the  sweat  from  his  brow.  He  lay 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         273 

there  white  as  a  corpse,  with  burning  eyes,  in  the  pale 
moonlight. 

"  At  last  I  succeeded  in  getting  him  under  me,"  he 
said  in  a  lowered  voice,  "  and  putting  out  my  utmost 
strength  I  pushed  him  against  the  stone  he  had  sat 
upon,  and  at  last  I  broke  his  back.  While  he  lay  there, 
and  before  I  had  seized  the  sword  to  cut  off  his 
wretched  head,  his  rotten  tongue  continued  to  spit  out 
curses.  I  will  not  repeat  them,  for  they  were  terrible. 
Only  so  much  I  will  tell  you,  that  he  said  that  there 
was  a  spell  on  this  sword,  that  whosoever  should  kill 
with  it  should  die  with  it." 

Leif's  old  headman,  who  during  the  last  part  of  this 
narrative  had  panted  like  a  sick  man,  suddenly  sprang 
up  in  great  excitement.  "  Throw  the  cursed  sword 
overboard,"  he  shouted  in  a  shaky  voice,  with  his  whole 
body  trembling.  Leif  reached  after  the  sword,  and 
clutched  its  golden  hilt  firmly.  "  No !  "  he  answered 
decidedly.  "  I  have  risked  too  much  to  gain  it." 

The  old  man  broke  down  with  a  hiccoughing  sob, 
which  sent  an  ice-cold  shudder  through  the  bones  and 
marrow  of  Leif  and  all  the  rest. 

"  What  did  you  do  then  with  the  dead  maaF  "  asked 
one  at  length,  with  his  teeth  chattering. 

"  I  cut  his  head  off  and  laid  it  by  his  feet,"  Leif 
answered  curtly,  and  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  Since  there 
was  no  more  to  tell,  Leif  remained  lying  silent.  His 
men  continued  sitting  silent  and  motionless  round  him. 

Leif  found  himself  wondering  that  his  meeting  with 

the  monk  had  suddenly  become  so  distant  and  unreal. 

Was  it  not  something  which  he  had  dreamt?     How  was 


274         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

it,  really  ?  Had  he  not  been  fighting  with  a  dead  man  ? 
His  body  was  so  strangely  stiff.  And  if  not,  why 
should  he  have  this  smell  in  his  nostrils?  Leif  no  longer 
knew  himself  what  to  believe.  The  drowsiness  of  sleep 
slurred  the  clearness  of  his  thought  and  confused  the 
real  with  the  unreal. 

The  old  man  had  gradually  become  silent.  For  a 
while  he  sat  motionless,  with  his  head  wrapped  in  a 
corner  of  his  cloak.  Then  he  let  the  corner  fall  and 
continued  to  sit  and  look  at  Leif.  When  at  last  he 
spoke,  his  voice  had  resumed  its  deep,  quiet  tone.  "  In 
memory  of  your  wonderful  experience  and  great  adven- 
ture, you  shall  hereafter  be  called  '  Hjor-Leif,'  "  he 
said  solemnly  to  Leif. 

Leif  smiled  with  half-closed  eyes;  then  they  closed 
quite.  He  slept  peacefully  and  calmly  as  though  he 
had  never  been  engaged  in  fighting  a  dead  man. 

His  men  remained  sitting  quite  silent  around  him. 
They  did  not  talk  together.  They  had  conceived  a 
great  fear  in  their  souls  which  the  moon's  unearthly 
light  considerably  increased.  They  were  simply  afraid 
to  lie  down  and  close  their  eyes  and  fall  asleep.  They 
could  not  understand  how  Leif  could  lie  there  and  sleep 
so  comfortably  after  such  an  adventure.  Their  ad- 
miration for  him  had  never  been  greater  than  now. 
They  would  like  to  know  whether  he  would  be  afraid  to 
encounter  the  gods  themselves.  They  had  never  seen 
fear  in  his  eyes.  It  was  certainly  right  that  he  should 
have  the  sword  affixed  to  his  name  and  be  called  Hjor- 
Leif. 

Leif  awoke  of  his  own  accord  at  sunrise.     Then  he 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        275 

saw  his  men  still  in  a  circle  round  him.  He  broke  into  a 
loud  fit  of  laughter  when  he  saw  their  stupid  eyes  and 
faces  weary  with  watching. 

"  Beer !  Beer ! "  he  shouted,  and  sprang  up. 
"  Plenty  of  beer  for  all  the  men !  Drink  now,  boys !  " 

He  cheered  them  up.  The  most  slack  of  them  he 
whirled  round  and  capsized  and  thumped  till  there  was 
a  roar  of  merriment  around  him. 

When  Leif  had  emptied  a  couple  of  jugs  of  beer  he 
felt  hungry  and  demanded  food.  For  a  whole  day  and 
night  he  had  had  nothing  except  two  raw  shellfish,  if 
tJiat  were  not  something  which  he  had  only  dreamt. 
At  any  rate,  his  hunger  was  keen  and  insatiable.  With 
continually  increasing  wonder  his  men  stood  round  him 
and  watched  him  devour  a  hearty  meal.  He  was  the 
only  one  on  board  who  had  an  appetite.  An  icy  dread 
instilled  by  the  moonlight  still  possessed  his  men  like 
bodily  nausea.  Even  the  beer  which  he  had  given  them 
they  drank  more  from  obedience  than  from  pleasure. 

When  Leif  had  made  them  first  stir  themselves  and 
then  totter  a  little  on  their  legs,  he  set  them  at  the 
oars  and  bade  them  set  to  work  like  the  boys  they 
were !  They  should  only  think  of  their  wives  and  dear- 
est ones,  and  for  the  rest  row  as  though  a  dead  man 
were  after  them.  Leif  had  had  enough  adventures  for 
the  present.  Now  he  wanted  to  get  home  to  Norway. 


276         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 


V 

Helga,  the  faithful  and  anxious,  was  once  more  to  see 
the  summer  die  on  the  fields  and  in  the  wood  and  Leif 
return  home  over  the  autumn  sea. 

The  foggy,  raw,  cold  autumn  day  became  great  and 
festive  when  she  caught  sight  of  Leif's  ship  out  on  the 
fjord.  A  red  flag  waved  from  the  mast,  a  signal  which 
had  been  agreed  upon.  There  came  Leif  sailing  with 
her  happiness  on  board. 

Merely  the  fact  of  his  being  alive  was  like  a  boon 
from  the  gods.  It  filled  her  soul  with  summer  to  feel 
herself  warm  and  living  in  his  arms.  Every  time  that 
Leif  came  home  from  an  expedition,  it  was  equally  new 
and  incomprehensible  that  he  lived  —  lived  and  was 
near  her  again. 

Leif  came  home  with  spring  and  renewal  of  life  in  his 
soul.  That  was  always  the  case  with  him.  The  evil 
and  dangerous  unrest  was  gone.  He  had  swept  it  out 
of  his  soul  with  adventures.  Leif  was  again  Leif.  His 
cheerful  laughter  betokened  his  inner  quiet.  There  was 
noise  and  bustle  wherever  he  moved,  but  there  was  a 
contented  assurance  in  his  voice  and  look. 

To  Helga,  at  any  rate,  it  seemed  worth  while  to  have 
endured  the  pain  of  longing  and  anxiety  during  the 
summer  in  order  to  have  him  home  again.  The  eager 
tone  of  his  voice  alone,  when  he  asked  questions  or  re- 
lated incidents,  made  her  heart  swell  with  happiness. 
She  could  forget  both  to  answer  and  to  listen,  and  just 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        277 

cast  herself  on  his  neck  because  she  must,  because  it 
was  so  delightful  to  weep  and  laugh  out  her  happiness 
with  his  arms  round  her. 

Leif  never  returned  empty-handed  from  an  expedi- 
tion. Besides  the  serfs  and  goods  which  he  had  this 
time  gained,  he  had  acquired  a  new  name  —  Hjor- 
Leif. 

Ingolf,  Hallveig,  and  Helga  were  all  obliged  to  laugh 
loudly  the  first  time  they  heard  him  called  by  this  new 
name.  Leif  began  at  once  to  explain  eagerly,  and  with 
a  little  embarrassment,  that  it  was  not  a  name  which  he 
had  himself  assumed  —  one  of  his  men  had  bestowed  it 
on  him  of  his  own  accord.  But  it  was  plain  to  see  that 
he  was  proud  of  the  addition  to  his  name,  and  did  not 
like  their  laughing  at  it. 

They  questioned  him  with  curiosity  about  the  sword 
which  had  given  occasion  for  the  name  —  a  valuable 
sword  which  few  remembered  to  have  seen  the  like  of. 

Leif  answered  with  great  seriousness  that  there  was  a 
ludicrous  story  connected  with  that  sword.  He  had 
told  it  once  to  his  men.  But  it  was  not  a  story  one 
went  spreading  about.  He  had  no  intention  of  repeat- 
ing it.  His  old  headman,  on  the  other  hand,  was  fond 
of  relating  it.  He  was  by  no  means  disposed  to  let 
Leif's  adventure  pass  into  oblivion.  And  he  related  it 
in  such  a  way  that  one  did  not  sleep  quietly  for  several 
nights  after  hearing  the  old  man's  quavering  voice  re- 
late the  unheard-of  terrors  which  Leif  had  experienced 
in  the  cave.  He  certainly  deserved  to  be  called  Hjor- 
Leif ,  especially  since  he  himself  liked  it  —  on  that  all 
were  agreed,  when  they  had  heard  of  the  way  in  which 


278         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Leif  had  gained  his  sword.  And  so  from  that  day  he 
was  called  Hjor-Leif,  and  nothing  else. 

Neither  Ingolf  nor  any  one  else  doubted  that  the 
story  was  true.  The  sword  in  itself  was  sufficient 
proof.  Moreover,  it  was  so  entirely  like  Leif  not  to 
be  satisfied  with  fighting  living  men,  but  also  to  have 
to  test  his  strength  with  the  dead,  and  to  come  well  out 
of  the  encounter. 

Hjor-Leif  was,  as  we  have  said,  not  to  be  persuaded 
to  narrate  the  story  himself.  He  was  not  at  all  fond  of 
being  reminded  of  it. 

His  other  adventures,  small  and  great,  he  was  gen- 
erally willing  enough  to  relate.  And  he  took  them  by 
no  means  seriously.  His  description  of  the  way  he 
hung  out  over  the  cliff,  clinging  to  the  handle  of  his  ax 
and  being  thrust  at  by  sharp  spear-points,  might  have 
made  even  a  dead  man  writhe  with  laughter,  although 
in  itself  there  was  nothing  pleasant  in  the  situation. 
The  Leif  who  revealed  himself  behind  such  experiences, 
and  could  relate  them  in  such  a  light  and  completely 
artless  way  —  that  was  the  Leif  whom  Ingolf  loved 
and  could  not  resist.  For  a  long  time  after  he  had 
heard  Hjor-Leif  tell  of  the  little  hollow  and  the  flat 
stone,  Ingolf  could  have  a  fit  of  laughter  merely  by 
thinking  of  it. 

Hjor-Leif  confided  to  Helga,  and  Helga  alone,  a 
wonderful  story  regarding  which  he  was  not  sure 
whether  it  was  an  actual  experience  or  a  dream.  Upon 
an  island  he  had  swum  to  he  had  met  a  hermit  who  from 
some  mysterious  characters  on  some  pieces  of  skin  had 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         279 

deciphered  a  long  and  wonderful  account  of  a  place 
which  was  called  Paradise,  and  a  bird  he  called  the 
Phoenix.  Had  Helga  ever  heard  the  name  of  the  place 
or  the  bird?  No,  Helga  had  not.  And  even  though 
Helga  in  her  heart  thought  that  there  was  no  limit 
to  Hjor-Leif's  possible  experiences,  she  gave  it,  never- 
theless, as  her  view  that  it  was  very  likely  a  dream. 
Hjor-Leif  also  thought  it  might  be.  For  part  of  the 
story  or  dream  was  that  the  hermit  had  given  him 
shellfish  to  eat,  and  that  he  really  had  eaten  them. 
That  could  in  any  case  not  be  the  fact,  for  he  cherished 
the  most  decided  dislike  to  raw  shellfish.  That  must  at 
least  be  something  he  had  dreamt. 

All  the  same,  the  story  about  the  monk  continued  to 
haunt  Hjor-Leif's  mind  and  disquiet  him.  For  a  part 
of  the  dream  which  he  had  not  confided  to  Helga  was  — 
that  he  had  stolen  his  sword  from  the  monk.  That  was 
a  bad  dream. 

When  Hjor-Leif  returned  home  from  the  Viking  expe- 
dition of  the  summer,  Ingolf  had  already  sold  such  of 
their  goods  and  cattle  as  could  not  be  stowed  on  board 
the  two  ships.  He  had  also  sold  his  dragon-ship.  He 
confided  in  a  quiet  voice  to  his  brother  that  he  intended 
hereafter  to  lead  a  perfectly  peaceful  life.  Hjor-Leif 
once  more  remembered  his  dream  of  the  hermit  on  the 
island,  and  said  that  he  also  had  had  enough  of  these 
expeditions.  They  agreed  that  Ingolf  should  purchase 
from  Hjor-Leif  his  share  in  the  vessel,  and  that  Hjor- 
Leif  should  then  exchange  his  two  ships  for  a  powerful 
trading-ship.  Ingolf  had  in  his  journeys  seen  one  that 


280         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

might  suit  him.  The  matter  was  arranged,  and  every- 
thing was  now  ready  for  their  departure  in  the  next 
spring. 

It  was  the  season  when  the  first  winter  nights  were 
powdering  the  earth  with  frost. 

And  now  began  a  lively  and  unquiet  time  for  the 
sworn  brothers.  Relatives  and  friends  came  from  near 
and  far  to  spend  some  days  with  them.  The  whole  of 
this  last  winter  in  Dalsfjord  there  was  a  festivity  and 
bustle  which  made  them  all  giddy  with  hilarity,  es- 
pecially Hjor-Leif.  His  irrepressible  mood  infected 
Helga.  She  gave  herself  away  and  forgot  everything, 
even  her  most  secret  troubles  —  she  forgot  everything 
in  the  one  fact  that  she  just  had  Leif.  They  let  day 
be  day,  and  night  be  night,  and  merely  lived  —  lived 
in  a  state  of  blissful  intoxication,  which  excluded  every- 
thing except  absorption  in  the  present  happiness  of 
their  souls.  Often  when  Helga  was  falling  asleep,  she 
thought,  "  You  will  not  wake  in  the  morning,"  and 
smiled  happily.  Her  happiness  was  so  deep  that  death 
and  life  ran  into  one. 

There  was  no  pause  in  the  festivities.  When  there 
was  no  feast  being  held  in  the  house,  they  and  their 
guests  and  servants  were  invited  to  week-long  feasts 
in  other  houses.  Among  their  kinsmen  and  friends 
there  were  already  at  this  time  many  who  said  that  if 
Ingolf  and  Hjor-Leif  prospered  in  the  new  land,  they 
also  would  sell  their  properties  in  Norway  and  migrate 
thither.  Norway  was  no  longer  what  it  had  been. 
They  knew  no  longer  whether  they  were  free  yeomen  or 
King  Harald's  lease-holders.  Lately  one  of  Harald's 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         281 

Jarls  had  murdered  Atle  Jarl  the  Slender.  Haasten 
held  his  right  and  inheritance  by  Harald's  permission. 
And  there  were  many  situated  as  he  was.  Every  one 
who  dared  to  murmur  had  forfeited  life  and  land.  It 
would  certainly  be  a  good  thing  to  find  a  free  place 
so  far  away  that  Harald's  hard  arm  could  not  reach. 

Hjor-Leif  reminded  Ingolf  that  he  had  long  foretold 
that.  There  was  no  need  to  fear  solitude  in  the  new 
land.  Before  many  years  had  passed,  the  whole  of  the 
great  island  would  be  taken  in  possession  by  the  best 
men  of  Norway. 

Hjor-Leif  spoke  contentedly  and  undisturbedly 
about  the  matter.  He  was  himself,  as  usual,  not  aware 
of  any  responsibility.  Upon  Ingolf  the  prospects  of 
many  following  them  thither  had  a  different  effect.  He 
was  quite  weighed  down  with  a  sense  of  responsibility 
and  anxiety.  Was  the  land  out  there  in  the  west  so 
good  that  he  could  justify  drawing  others  by  his 
example  from  their  inheritance  and  the  country  of  their 
race?  And,  above  all:  Was  it  the  gods'  will  that  he 
should  journey  thither?  Ingolf  arranged  a  great 
Yuletide  sacrificial  feast.  And  now  he  wished  to  ascer- 
tain the  will  of  the  gods. 

On  the  first  night  of  the  feast  he  cast  lots.  Some 
chips  or  sticks,  dipped  in  sacrificial  blood,  were  tossed 
in  a  cloth,  and  he  read  off  the  characters  formed  by 
the  positions  which  the  chips  assumed  towards  each 
other.  Far  to  the  left  lay  a  chip  by  itself,  straight  up 
and  down,  a  clear  character,  an  "I."  That  signified 
"  ice,"  and  seemed  to  mean  that  he  should  travel.  The 
next  character  was  even  clearer.  Some  chips  had  so 


282         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

arranged  themselves  that  they  formed  the  runic  char- 
acter "  F."  That  signified  "  cattle  " ;  goods  and  wealth. 
There  was  no  fear  of  making  a  mistake.  Ingolf  read 
off  still  more  characters,  but  they  were  all  propitious, 
with  the  exception  of  a  single  death-rune.  Well,  one 
could  not  escape  death  by  not  travelling.  That  came 
to  each  one  on  the  day  assigned  by  the  fates.  Ingolf 
was  reassured. 

Winter  passed,  and  the  days  increased  in  light  and 
length.  Then  came  a  spring  day.  It  was  a  warm  and 
festal  spring  which  fell  in  step  with  winter's  mood. 

The  sworn  brothers  launched  their  vessel  and  loaded 
it  with  goods  and  implements,  men  and  cattle.  Ingolf 
had  taken  the  pillars  of  his  high-seat  on  board,  to- 
gether with  all  the  images  of  the  gods  from  the  temple. 

Leif  sat  doubled  up  with  laughter  and  watched  In- 
golf and  his  men  dragging  with  solemn  intentness  the 
worm-eaten  and  bedizened  pillars  of  the  gods  from  the 
temple  down  to  the  ship.  Was  Ingolf,  then,  no  wiser? 

Helga  awoke  from  her  trance  of  happiness  as  she 
stood  with  her  hand  in  Hjor-Leif's  and  sailed  out  be- 
tween some  small  islands  covered  with  spruce  and  fir, 
from  whence  a  strong  pine-scent  was  carried  towards 
her  by  a  gentle  breeze.  Hjor-Leif  felt  her  hand  grow 
cold  in  his.  He  clasped  the  slender  fingers  more  closely. 
Had  he  clasped  them  too  closely?  Her  little  hand 
began  suddenly  to  tremble  in  his.  He  looked  into  her 
eyes  with  a  searching  and  slightly  troubled  look.  But 
there  was  nothing  the  matter.  She  smiled  her  quietest 
and  happiest  smile  at  him.  He  kissed  her,  made  her 
sit  in  shelter,  and  wrapped  a  skin  round  her,  so  that 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         283 

she  should  not  feel  cold.  Soon  they  were  outside  the 
islands.  The  wind  blew  stronger  and  more  steadily. 
Before  the  bellying  sails  the  two  heavily  loaded  ships 
steered  over  a  sea  blue  with  spring. 


VI 

The  sworn  brothers'  ships  lay  rolling  violently,  rock- 
ing and  pitching  in  the  heavy  swell  south  of  Iceland. 
The  day  was  calm  and  warm.  High  light  clouds  were 
spread  over  the  deep  blue  vault  of  heaven.  The  sun 
poured  his  strong  spring  light  in  broad  floods  over  sea 
and  land. 

That  day  it  was  fourteen  days  since  they  had  sailed 
out  from  Dalsfjord.  For  fourteen  days  they  had  been 
in  the  power  of  the  wind.  A  storm  which  tore  the  sails 
and  broke  the  yards  had  driven  them  about  over  a  rag- 
ing sea,  which  ceaselessly  sent  cold  showers  of  spray 
over  the  low  gunwales.  From  morning  till  evening, 
from  evening  till  morning,  four  men  had  stood  in  each 
vessel  with  the  two  baling  scoops,  working  for  life  to 
keep  the  water  out.  In  spite  of  being  continually  re- 
lieved the  men  were  at  last  so  worn  out  and  wasted 
that  they  could  scarcely  eat,  and  fell  asleep  and  rolled 
over  wherever  they  sat  down  even  for  a  moment. 

By  continual  watchfulness  and  clever  seamanship  the 
brothers  had  succeeded  in  keeping  their  vessels  together. 
Each  stood  day  and  night  at  the  rudder.  Only  in  the 
short  intervals  when  the  wind  turned,  or  there  was  a 
short  pause,  did  they  throw  themselves  down  to  sleep 


284         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

for  the  moment  as  if  dead.  They  had  no  time  to  think 
of  Helga  and  Hallveig.  Helga  was  careful  not  to  be  in 
the  way.  She  rendered  the  small  service  she  was  able 
to  do  under  these  circumstances  as  much  as  possible 
without  making  herself  observed.  Hallveig  sat  with 
her  boy  in  her  lap  and  let  the  wind  blow  and  the  storm 
rage.  She  kept  her  eyes  on  Ingolf  and  felt  safe. 

The  sworn  brothers  fought  for  life  and  death  with  * 
storm  and  sea.     The  great  thing  was  to  hold  out,  not 
to  give  up,  not  to  think  of  anything  but  what  concerned 
the  steering  and  the  quantity  of  canvas   they  should    I 
carry,  not  to  be  wearied,  not  to  lose  one's  head  —  to 
hold   out,   to  hold   out.     It   was   just   this   unceasing    / 
struggle  which  kept  up  their  courage  and  spirits.         / 

The  animals  were  ill  and  starving ;  some  of  them  died 
and  had  to  be  thrown  overboard,  others  lay  in  their 
last  agonies,  pitiable  to  see.  Much  of  their  corn  and 
other  food-stores  was  spoilt  by  the  dense  showers  of 
spray.  The  fresh  water  in  the  casks  sank  regularly 
and  irremediably.  The  men  went  about  slackly,  and 
had  to  be  kept  going  with  a  hard  hand.  There  was 
hardly  anything  on  board  which  was  not  otherwise  than 
it  should  be,  and  giving  reason  for  deep  anxiety.  But 
the  brothers  held  out. 

When  at  last  on  the  previous  day  they  had  seen  on 
the  extreme  verge  of  the  northern  horizon  a  light  from 
the  snow-covered  interior  of  the  new  land  like  a  faint 
white  gleam,  each  had  thought  within  himself  that  it 
was  not  a  day  too  soon. 

During  the  last  twenty-four  hours  the  storm  had  at 
last  slowly  quieted  down,  and  now  they  lay  here,  held  up 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         285 

by  a  presumably  only  short  calm,  a  few  hours'  sail 
from  the  coast,  and  gazed  curiously  and  expectantly 
over  the  sea  at  the  land  in  the  blue  distance. 

The  ships  lay  side  by  side,  kept  in  their  places  by 
long  boat-hooks,  only  so  far  from  each  other  as  was 
necessary  in  order  to  prevent  their  chafing  and  in- 
juring their  sides. 

Hjor-Leif  and  Helga  had  gone  on  board  Ingolf's 
vessel  in  order  to  greet  him  and  Hallveig  and  to  talk 
over  the  situation.  All  four  were  seated,  Hallveig  with 
her  little  boy  in  her  arms,  on  the  stern  poop.  After 
severe  trial  they  had  passed  through  there  was  a  silence 
over  them  which  was  difficult  to  break.  They  had  not 
yet  grown  properly  accustomed  to  the  fact  that  life  and 
death  did  not  hang  on  each  moment  as  it  passed. 
Therefore  they  spoke  but  little.  Towards  the  north- 
east and  north-west  the  soft  lines  of  the  slightly  ris- 
ing and  falling  glaciers  stood  out  behind  the  blue  moun- 
tains that  crowned  this  flat  land.  The  brothers  fol- 
lowed the  changing  contours  of  the  country  with  a 
peculiar  tenderness  in  their  eyes.  But  their  gaze  al- 
ways turned  back  to  the  glaciers  which  shone  spark- 
ling white  in  the  strong  sunshine. 

Hallveig  and  Helga  also  could  not  turn  away  their 
eyes  from  the  glaciers.  The  few  words  which  they  now 
and  then  exchanged  were  said  in  low  tones,  as  if  they  sat 
in  a  temple,  and  not  at  sea  on  a  swaying  vessel. 

Ingolf  and  Hjor-Leif  had  long  sat  silent  side  by  side, 
inspecting  the  land  with  keen  eyes.  Between  a  pro- 
jecting point  a  long  way  to  the  east,  and  another  far 
to  the  west,  there  stretched  a  flat,  unbroken  coast-line, 


286          THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

distinctly   marked  by   a  white   edge   of   rolling   surf. 

"  It  will  be  difficult  to  land  here,"  concluded  Leif  at 
last,  in  a  slightly  hard  and  irritated  tone.  "  Also,  it 
seems  as  if  most  of  the  land  nearest  the  shore  is  barren 
sand." 

"  There  are  enough  landing-places  by  the  points," 
Ingolf  answered  quietly,  "  and  behind  the  sands  the 
land  may  be  good  and  fertile,  even  close  up  to  the 
glaciers.  We  saw  that  on  the  eastern  side  last  sum- 
mer." 

Ingolf  was  in  secret  rather  disappointed  that  they 
had  not  found  the  Svanefjords  again.  But  he  did  not 
speak  about  it.  It  was  not  possible  to  look  for  them 
now.  At  present,  the  great  thing  was  to  get  on  land  as 
quickly  as  possible,  and  almost  anywhere,  so  that  the 
men  and  animals  could  have  a  good  rest  and  recover. 

The  sworn  brothers  had  agreed  that  they  must  settle 
for  the  summer  and  the  coming  winter  on  the  spot 
where  they  landed.  Afterwards  they  might  look  out 
for  a  permanent  residence.  Ingolf  had  very  decided 
views  with  regard  to  the  choice  of  a  dwelling-place. 
These  views,  however,  he  had  not  yet  confided  to  Hjor- 
Leif,  nor  to  any  one  else.  The  matter  concerned  the 
gods,  and  in  all  that  concerned  them  his  brother's  at- 
titude was  a  foregone  conclusion.  Hjor-Leif,  on  his 
part,  only  thought  of  finding  a  pleasant  and  fertile 
spot,  preferably  by  the  sea,  and  protected  by  the  moun- 
tains, where  he  could  feel  himself  at  home  and  be  com- 
fortable. 

For  a  long  time  they  sat  in  silence,  each  deep  in 
thought.  Ingolf  reflected  how  he  had  best  communi- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         287 

cate  his  plan  to  Hjor-Leif.  He  saw  at  once  that  it 
was  no  good  to  be  silent  about  it  longer.  For  already, 
before  they  departed  from  here,  it  must  be  put  into 
execution.  He  sat  and  felt  rather  perplexed  inwardly, 
and  could  not  find  words. 

At  that  moment  Hjor-Leif  was  sitting  and  reflecting 
over  an  experience  which  he  had  had  the  previous  night. 
He  had  lain  asleep  in  his  bearskin  bag  while  his  old 
headman  took  charge  of  the  tiller.  Suddenly  he 
started  up  from  sleep,  having  certainly  dreamt  of  some- 
thing or  other  he  could  not  remember,  and  as  he  did 
so  he  collided  with  a  man  who  must  have  been  stooping 
over  him.  It  was  one  of  his  Irish  serfs,  Duftak,  a  man 
whose  evil  eye  had  followed  him  since  he  once  in  wrath 
had  stretched  him  on  the  ground  with  a  well-deserved 
blow.  Hjor-Leif  was  not  certain,  but  it  seemed  to 
him  that  the  serf  had  thrown  something  or  other  which 
he  had  in  his  hand  overboard,  just  as  he  had  stumbled 
against  him  and  stood  opposite  him.  He  thought  he 
had  heard  a  little  splash  as  when  a  hard  object  strikes 
the  water.  But  he  was  by  no  means  certain  of  the 
matter,  and  neither  the  serf's  eyes  nor  his  behaviour 
had  betrayed  anything.  He  had  asked  him  what  he  was 
doing  here,  and  it  seemed  that  he  had  come  to  look  after 
a  roll  of  rope  which  lay  close  by.  Hjor-Leif  had  had 
his  thoughts  occupied  the  whole  day  by  this  occurrence. 
He  had  already  observed  for  a  long  time  that  the  serf's 
eyes  followed  Helga  wherever  she  went  and  stood,  with 
an  evil  and  at  the  same  time  covetous  look.  He  could 
not  understand  why  he  had  not  already  thrown  the 
serf  overboard,  and  why  he  did  not  intend  to  do  so. 


288         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

He  was  quite  sure  that  it  was  not  from  fear,  although 
there  seemed  to  be  a  peculiar  understanding  among 
his  Irish  serfs.  It  was  rather  because  he  could  not 
do  without  serfs,  and  because  if  he  killed  one  of  them 
it  would  be  safest  to  kill  them  all. 

At  length  Leif  unwillingly  shook  these  thoughts  off, 
and  asked  curtly :  "  We  shall  sail  southward,  I  sup- 
pose, when  the  wind  gets  up  again  ?  " 

Ingolf  was  silent.  It  was  certainly  about  an  equal 
distance  to  the  two  points,  and  he  had  a  very  great 
desire  to  seek  a  landing-place  near  the  more  easterly 
of  the  two. 

Instead  of  giving  a  direct  answer,  he  began  cau- 
tiously :  "  I  have  thought,  brother,  that  I  for  my  part 
will  let  the  gods  decide  where  I  should  settle  in  this 
new  land." 

Leif,  whose  temper  at  the  moment  was  a  little  off  its 
balance  because  of  the  incident  with  the  serf,  gave  a 
hard  laugh:  "How  will  you  go  about  it?" 

Ingolf  pointed  to  the  pillars  of  his  high-seat,  which 
lay  lashed  together  with  strong  skin  straps  above  a 
pile  amidships. 

"  I  will  throw  the  pillars  of  my  high-seat  overboard. 
Wherever  they  drift  to  land,  I  will  settle." 

"  Even  if  they  drift  to  land  in  the  middle  of  the 
sands  here? "  asked  Hjor-Leif  incredulously  and  a 
little  scornfully. 

"  The  gods  will  know  how  to  find  the  place  where  it 
will  be  best  for  me  and  my  family  to  settle,"  answered 
Ingolf,  undisturbed.  "  I  lay  with  confidence  the  choice 
of  a  dwelling  in  their  hand." 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         289 

Hjor-Leif  was  silent  for  a  long  time.  There  was  a 
hard  and  pitiless  line  round  his  large  mouth.  There 
was  Ingolf  again  with  his  cursed  gods !  At  last  he 
spoke,  without  looking  at  anything :  "  Instead,  then, 
of  our  choosing  a  place  for  ourselves  where  the  earth 
is  fertile  and  luxuriant  we  are  to  settle  wherever  it 
pleases  the  wind  and  current  to  wash  up  a  pair  of  dead 
planks  on  shore." 

He  talked  himself  into  a  bad  temper.  And  he  wound 
up  bitterly :  "  We  shall  hardly  be  neighbours,  then, 
brother!" 

Ingolf  sprang  up  from  his  place.  He  was  on  the 
point  of  giving  an  angry  answer  when  he  remembered 
suddenly  a  snowy  day  when  he  and  Hjor-Leif  had 
ridden  alone  over  a  desolate  heath.  He  shut  his  lips 
tightly,  and  stood  for  a  while  silent,  leaning  against 
the  tiller.  In  his  eyes  there  was  a  seeking  look  which 
wandered  in  perplexity  over  the  water.  The  sun's 
glimmer  dazzled  his  eyes.  He  could  not  find  a  word 
kind  and  cautious  enough  to  answer  with.  But  his 
resolve  stood  immovably  firm.  Suddenly  he  collected 
himself,  and,  calling  a  couple  of  his  men,  bade  them 
take  the  high-seat  pillars  down  from  the  pile  and  lay 
them  on  the  gunwale.  So  he  stood  for  a  little  and  let 
his  hands  glide  carefully  over  the  age-browned  wood. 

Hjor-Leif  sat  watching  with  a  hard,  evil  look  in  his 
grey  eyes.  Cautiously  Ingolf  let  the  pillars  glide  over- 
board. He  remained  standing,  and  followed  them  with 
his  eyes  as  they  lay  there  floating  on  the  bright,  oily 
water.  Hjor-Leif  could  only  see  his  back.  There  was 
an  air  of  decision  and  resolve  about  that  back  which 


290         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

irritated  him  still  further.  Hallveig  and  Helga  had 
followed  the  conversation,  and  now  sat  silent  and  an- 
xious, not  daring  to  look  at  each  other.  Helga  did  not 
at  all  reflect  which  of  the  two  was  more  in  the  right. 
She  was  simply  troubled.  In  her  gentle  mind  there 
rose  a  strange,  impotent  fear  which  made  her  heart 
beat  heavily  and  painfully. 

Hallveig,  on  the  other  hand,  was  at  first  in  her  in- 
most heart  on  the  point  of  justifying  Hjor-Leif.  At 
the  first  moment  it  appeared  to  her  that  one's  own 
eyes'  choice  of  a  dwelling  could  always  be  as  good  as 
that  of  blind  gods,  nay,  really  much  safer.  But  when 
she  had  sat  for  a  while  with  her  firm,  open  gaze  fixed 
on  Ingolf's  back,  a  change  took  place  in  her  mind. 
The  air  of  security  and  assurance  which  was  about  her 
husband's  whole  person,  and  which  his  back  just  now 
so  distinctly  expressed,  had  an  unconscious  effect  upon 
her.  She  understood  all  of  a  sudden  that  it  was  just 
this  sign  from  the  gods  which  was  needed  in  order  to 
attach  her  husband's  heart  firmly  and  unbreakably  to 
his  new  home.  There,  where  the  pillars  of  his  high- 
seat  drifted  on  shore,  Ingolf  would  feel  himself  at  home 
with  all  his  soul  and  in  spite  of  reason.  The  gods' 
choice  of  the  place  would  give  his  strength  and  will  the 
firm  ground  without  which,  in  spite  of  all  his  strength, 
he  could  not  thrive.  On  a  spot  so  chosen  Ingolf  would 
force  happiness  and  prosperity  to  dwell  in  the  face  of 
every  imaginable  difficulty.  For  in  alliance  with  his 
gods  he  was  invincible. 

Hallveig  sat  there  and  became  assured  and  peaceful 
in  mind. 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         291 

She  understood  that  it  was  from  an  unwaveringly 
sure  and  wise  instinct  that  Ingolf  acted  when  he  cast 
the  pillars  overboard.  It  was  of  vital  importance  to 
him  to  feel  himself  in  covenant  with  his  gods  and  in 
possession  of  their  favour. 

Hallveig  stooped  over  her  little  boy  and  kissed  him  on 
the  forehead,  and  remained  sitting  for  a  while  with 
bowed  head,  lest  any  should  see  she  had  tears  in  her 
eyes. 

With  beating  heart  Ingolf  stood  and  watched  his 
treasured  pillars  tossed  by  the  billows,  lightly,  aimlessly, 
as  though  they  were  ordinary  pieces  of  driftwood.  It 
was  not  without  severe  internal  conflicts  that  he  had 
resolved  to  deliver  his  dearest  possession  to  the  power 
of  the  sea.  But  here  life  was  at  stake.  It  was  not 
only  a  matter  of  finding  a  place  where  his  cattle  could 
graze  and  his  house  stand,  but  of  finding  exactly  that 
place  which  the  gods  willed  to  grant  him  and  his  family. 
The  place  where  they  could  know  he  would  stay  for  the 
future.  The  place  where  his  and  his  family's  happiness 
and  prosperity  were  not  only  under  his  but  under  their 
care  and  responsibility. 

When  Ingolf  had  stood  for  a  long  time  watching  the 
pillars,  which  gradually  drifted  astern  in  an  easterly 
direction,  his  displeasure  towards  his  brother  disap- 
peared. He  turned  slowly,  and,  with  a  peculiar  smile 
upon  his  young  face  towards  the  others,  went  quietly 
and  seated  himself  by  the  side  of  Hjor-Leif. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  our  choosing  the  eastern 
point  as  a  landing-place,  brother?  "  he  asked  in  a  quiet 
and  friendly  tone. 


292         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

The  question  irritated  Leif.  There  was  no  talk  of 
choice ;  it  was  merely  a  question  where  a  piece  of  drift- 
wood should  decide  their  landing. 

"  I  have  already  for  my  part  chosen  the  west,"  he 
answered  firmly,  and  at  the  same  time  as  quietly  as  he 
could,  and  not  without  a  certain  satisfaction  at  the 
effect  of  his  words. 

But  it  was  not  only  on  Ingolf  that  Leif's  answer  had 
the  effect  of  a  well-directed  blow.  Both  Hallveig  and 
Helga  felt  that  here  was  something  evil  and  dangerous 
going  on.  Quite  involuntarily  Helga  called  Hjor- 
Leif's  name  in  a  supplicating  tone.  She  had  no  idea 
of  wishing  to  influence  him  in  the  least  degree.  She 
knew  him,  and  was  aware  that  it  was  hopeless.  The 
word  fell  like  a  prayer  from  her  gentle  and  anxious 
soul.  In  one  hot  wave  the  blood  mounted  to  Hjor- 
Leif's  head  when  he  heard  Helga's  voice.  "  You  can 
remain  with  your  brother,  since  you  prefer  that  to  fol- 
lowing me."  The  bitter  words  leapt  from  his  mouth. 
Helga  broke  down  in  a  heavy  and  despairing  fit  of 
weeping.  Leif  sat  motionless,  and  apparently  un- 
moved. But  in  his  breast  there  tore  and  tugged  a 
fierce  and  intolerable  pain  which  was  not  far  from  mak- 
ing him  powerless.  It  was  not  at  all,  as  it  now  ap- 
peared, a  sudden  whim  which  caused  him  not  to  wish 
to  have  Helga  on  board  again.  It  was  the  scene  by 
night  with  the  serf,  Duftak,  which  from  the  beginning 
had  given  rise  to  the  thought  in  him  that  Helga  would 
be  really  safer  on  Ingolf's  ship.  Some  vague  and 
groundless  presentiment  or  other,  which  made  him  still 
more  sensitive  and  impatient,  told  him  that  there  was 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         293 

danger  in  the  journey  for  him  and  Helga.  It  was 
nothing  but  pure  tenderness  for  Helga  which  made  him 
resolve  that  they  should  part  before  they  were  all  quite 
on  shore.  This  time  he  had  not  thought  of  parting 
from  Ingolf.  But  in  a  moment  Hjor-Leif  was  com- 
pletely in  the  power  of  his  restless  temperament  which, 
as  so  often  before,  distorted  his  words  and  actions  and 
drove  him  to  hasty  resolves.  To  separate  from  the 
others,  and  seek  another  landing-place,  with  the  pros- 
pect perhaps  of  not  seeing  them  for  a  whole  year,  was 
for  him  a  much  greater  trial  than  for  Ingolf,  to  whose 
equable  temperament  a  year's  separation  contained 
nothing  unthinkable  or  alarming.  Hjor-Leif  could 
really  not  imagine  how  he  could  hold  out  merely  a 
month,  much  less  a  whole  year,  without  them. 

And  if  he  now  chose  to  land  in  another  place  than 
Ingolf,  each  for  the  present  would  have  to  remain  where 
he  landed.  But  it  was  completely  impossible  for  him  to 
expose  his  dependence  and  pain  at  parting.  He  could 
neither  humble  himself  nor  subdue  his  spirit  so  far  as 
to  enable  them  to  discuss  matters  reasonably.  As  soon 
as  the  fateful  words  were  out  of  his  mouth  he  was  help- 
lessly in  their  power. 

While  thoughts  and  feelings  were  rushing  like  violent 
streams  through  Hjor-Leif's  lacerated  soul,  Ingolf  had 
already  succeeded  in  reviewing  the  matter  reasonably. 
In  separation  there  was  the  advantage  that  the  one  who 
first  found  a  landing-place  could,  by  kindling  a  fire  on 
his  point,  inform  the  other,  who  perhaps  would  be  seek- 
ing a  landing-place  in  vain,  where  he  could  look  for  one. 
Ingolf,  with  a  seaman's  practised  eye,  had  long  before 


294         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

discovered  that  the  coast  here  was  difficult,  not  to  say 
impossible  to  land  on.  It  confronted  the  open  sea. 
The  heavy  swells,  which  were  certainly  almost  always 
prevalent  here,  would  shatter  any  ship  that  tried  to 
land  on  the  sands.  It  was  by  no  means  unlikely  that 
the  character  of  the  coast  near  the  two  points  might 
be  equally  difficult.  And  it  was  impossible  to  know  if 
the  coast  east  or  south  of  the  points  was  better.  Since 
Leif  now  wished  it,  Ingolf  had  for  his  part  nothing 
agains*  their  separation,  for  some  days  or  for  a  year, 
as  it  might  happen.  He  therefore  quietly  proposed 
that  whoever  first  succeeded  in  landing  should  kindle 
a  fire  on  his  point  as  a  signal  to  the  other.  The 
latter  could  then  make  for  that  place,  if  he  had  not 
found  another  harbour  before,  or  in  the  contrary  case 
might  answer  with  a  fire  on  his  point. 

Hjor-Leif  briefly  agreed  to  this  arrangement.  It  was 
he  who  had  settled  that  they  should  separate,  and  yet 
it  was  a  severe  disappointment  to  him  that  it  was  now 
finally  decided  on.  "  I  may  come  southward  in  the 
spring,  if  I  have  not  by  that  time  found  my  pillars," 
said  Ingolf  quietly,  when  the  matter  of  the  fires  had 
been  settled.  "  But  if  I  should  not  come,  I  will  send 
you  a  messenger,  if  I  have  not  heard  from  you  before." 

Hjor-Leif  nodded  curtly.  It  was  incomprehensible 
to  him  that  Ingolf  could  sit  there  and  talk  so  quietly,  as 
if  nothing  had  happened  between  them  and  everything 
was  all  right. 

"  If  you  find  my  pillars,"  Ingolf  continued,  with  the 
same  immovable  calm,  "  take  good  care  of  them,  and 
let  me  know  of  the  discovery  as  soon  as  possible." 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         295 

Hjor-Leif  made  no  answer.  Internally  he  swore  that 
if  he  had  the  luck  to  find  the  infernal  pillars  it  would 
be  a  joy  to  him  to  let  the  fire  devour  them. 

All  conversation  gradually  died  out  among  the  four 
persons  who  sat  there,  swinging  on  the  sea,  swayed  by 
the  balance  of  fate,  each  mind  filled  with  its  character- 
istic inner  thoughts,  peace  or  unrest,  wearing  pain  or 
assured  contentment  —  sat  there  in  the  grip  of  their 
own  souls  and  of  blind  powers,  while  the  brilliant  spring 
day  glided  into  a  light,  soft  night. 

The  red  sun-gold  over  the  sea  in  the  west  faded  and 
died  away  into  other  and  colder  colours.  The  world 
was  new  and  strange,  and  charged  with  presentiment 
as  always  on  the  boundary  between  day  and  night. 
The  four  sat  there,  and  let  the  day  go  and  night  come 
over  their  peaceful  or  irritated  silence.  Ingolf's  little 
boy,  Thorsten,  slept  quietly  in  his  mother's  bosom. 
All  around  was  quiet.  Peace  was  there  for  whomso- 
ever had  a  mind  to  receive  it.  The  brothers  sat  side 
by  side,  yet  each  in  his  own  world.  Ingolf,  as  always, 
kept  his  mind  collected,  was  his  natural  self,  and  knew 
it.  Just  as  he  ate  what  nourished  his  body  of  the 
good  things  of  sea  and  earth,  so  his  mind  absorbed 
whatever  benefited  him  from  the  changing  moods  of  day 
and  night,  sea  and  heaven  and  earth.  Everything  else 
remained  lying  untouched  and  harmless  outside  the 
tightly  closed  circle  of  his  mind. 

With  Hj  or-Leif  it  was  otherwise.  He  had  no  collec- 
tedness  in  his  mind.  Every  kind  of  experience  or  mood 
which  approached  him  was  seized  by  the  tentacles  of  his 
restless  heart.  Evil  and  good,  health  and  injury  —  his 


296         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

hungry  nature  swallowed  and  satiated  itself  with  all, 
without  any  other  result  than  merely  to  increase  his 
burning  desire  for  something  —  a  condition  or  an  ex- 
perience —  he  knew  no  name  for  it.  In  a  measure  he 
was  himself  just  as  Ingolf  was.  But  his  self  was 
volatile  and  difficult  to  grasp.  It  died  away  in  grief 
and  gladness,  as  though  it  were  a  part  of  them. 

Thus  the  night  passed.  And  when  day  again  bor- 
dered the  east,  it  was  folowed  by  a  gentle  breeze  from 
the  sea  which  could  be  used  for  sailing  equally  west- 
ward or  eastward. 

Hjor-Leif  rose  and  heaved  a  heavy  sigh  in  the  cool 
morning  air.  His  last  hope:  A  stiff  breeze  from  the 
west,  which  would  oblige  him  to  follow  his  brother,  was 
gone.  Helga  and  Ingolf  both  rose  with  Hjor-Leif. 
Helga  went  to  him,  put  her  arm  round  his  neck,  and 
pressed  close  to  him.  No  prayer  came  from  her  lips, 
but  her  whole  soul  was  a  prayer. 

Hjor-Leif  examined  his  mind  and  found  a  fear  there 
—  some  misty  foreboding  of  impending  disaster,  which 
determined  him  to  stand  firm,  to  be  hard  both  towards 
himself  and  towards  her. 

He  responded  to  her  caress,  but  not  in  the  whole- 
hearted way  which  would  allow  him  to  forget  his  words 
and  revoke  his  determination  not  to  let  her  follow  him. 
There  was  a  distinct  air  of  separation  in  his  kiss  and  in 
the  gentle  passing  of  his  hand  over  her  luxuriant  fair 
hair. 

So  Helga  gave  up  her  hope  and  submitted  silently  to 
his  will,  as  she  had  always  done. 

Hjor-Leif  silently  gave  Hallveig  his  hand  in  farewell. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         297 

She  looked  firmly  and  inquiringly  at  him,  and  pressed  his 
hand  silently.  There  was  something  about  Hjor-Leif, 
the  man  who  was  so  unlike  Ingolf,  and  whom  she  did 
not  understand,  \ha,i  stirred  something  in  her  heart. 

When  he  had  left  her,  she  suddenly,  called  after  him : 
"  Good-bye,  Hjor-Leif,  till  we  meet  again.  We  shall 
take  good  care  of  Helga." 

Hjor-Leif  turned  towards  her  with  a  forced  and  wry 
smile  on  his  irregular  features  —  a  smile  which  betrayed 
such  a  pathetic  and  involuntary  gratitude  that,  imme- 
diately after  he  had  turned  and  gone,  Helga  fell  into 
Hallveig's  arms,  and  both  wept.  They  had  suddenly 
divined,  with  the  sure  instinct  of  women,  that  it  was 
out  of  tenderness  and  love  that  Hjor-Leif  had  let  Helga 
remain  behind.  There  was  much  in  the  whole  sudden 
arrangement  which  they  did  not  understand,  but  this 
they  did. 

Ingolf  followed  Hjor-Leif  to  the  gunwale  amidships. 
The  men  were  engaged  in  drawing  the  ships  close  to- 
gether with  boat-hooks.  The  distance  between  them 
had  gradually  become  so  small  that  he  could  soon 
spring  over  into  his  own  ship. 

"  I  do  not  rightly  understand  why  you  let  Helga 
remain  behind,"  Ingolf  said  at  last,  when  Hjor-Leif 
already  had  his  foot  on  the  gunwale. 

Hjor-Leif  paused,  and  stood  still  a  little,  without 
meeting  Ingolf's  searching  look.  "  I  cannot  give  you 
any  reason,"  he  answered  at  last,  and  the  hardness  and 
gruffness  in  his  voice  spoke  of  feelings  of  quite  another 
sort  in  his  heart,  "  except  that  in  my  judgment  it  is  the 
best  for  her." 


298         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

Ingolf's  whole  bearing  clearly  showed  that  the  answer 
did  not  satisfy  him. 

Hjor-Leif  became  irritated.  "  I  have  ten  serfs  and 
only  ten  freemen,"  he  continued  in  a  firm  and  rather 
annoyed  tone,  for  he  did  not  like,  not  only  before 
Ingolf,  but  also  before  himself,  to  clothe  his  forebod- 
ings in  such  a  distinct  shape.  "  I  cannot  always  be  at 
hand,  and  the  serfs  are  not  reliable.  I  may  fall  sick 
and  misfortune  come  upon  us.  Many  things  may  hap- 
pen. Are  you  satisfied?  " 

Hjor-Leif 's  tone  was  still  equally  hard  and  unyield- 
ing. But  Ingolf  had  seen  through  him,  and  smilingly 
reached  him  his  hand.  Hjor-Leif  squeezed  it  with  his 
iron  claw  so  that  it  hurt,  and  stood  meanwhile  with 
averted  face;  his  features  worked  visibly,  and  he  bit 
his  lip  till  the  blood  came.  Hastily  he  let  go  of  Ingolf's 
hand,  and  at  the  same  moment  sprang  into  his  own 
ship. 

Immediately  afterwards  Ingolf  heard  his  voice  from 
it.  It  was  cuttingly  sharp,  and  rose  higher  and 
higher  in  a  torrent  of  words.  It  soon  appeared  that 
Hjor-Leif  had  quickly  succeeded  in  putting  life  into 
his  men.  Soon  after,  his  ship,  with  sail  hoisted,  glided 
away  before  the  light  breeze. 

Ingolf  stood  and  thought  that  such  a  lonely  year 
might  do  Hjor-Leif  good.  He  would  be  a  different 
man  the  next  time  they  saw  him.  Ingolf  only  lent  a 
momentary  hearing  to  the  voice  of  a  strange  wounded 
and  groundless  sense  of  loss  in  his  soul.  Quietly  he 
turned  round,  roused  his  tired  men  mildly,  and  bade 
them  hoist  sail  and  make  the  vessel  clear. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         299 

As  early  as  the  next  night  Hjor-Leif  saw  a  fire  shine 
from  Ingolf's  point.  So  Ingolf  was  already  on  land, 
and  everything  was  right  there.  Hjor-Leif  had  not 
fared  so  well.  The  westerly  breeze  he  had  so  strongly 
desired  had  come  when  he  had  no  more  use  for  it.  It 
had  come  too  late,  and  very  inopportunely.  After 
forty-eight  hours  he  lay  here  pitching  in  the  choppy 
seas,  tacking  as  well  as  he  could  without  getting  much 
nearer  his  object.  There  was  not  a  drop  of  fresh 
water  on  board.  The  Irish  serfs  had  discovered  how  to 
knead  meal  and  butter  into  a  mess  they  called  mintak, 
and  declared  that  it  was  a  food  one  did  not  get  thirsty 
by  eating.  None  the  less,  all  were  suffering  with  thirst, 
and  the  animals  were  in  a  miserable  condition,  unable  to 
swallow  a  straw  of  the  hay  they  had  brought  with  them. 
The  mintak  quickly  fermented,  and  the  whole  mass  had 
to  be  thrown  overboard. 

It  was  only  Hjor-Leif's  wretched  and  indomitable 
obstinacy  which  prevented  him  from  taking  advantage 
of  the  wind  and  quickly  running  his  ship  to  Ingolf's 
point.  By  doing  so  all  his  sufferings  would  have  been 
got  rid  of  at  once.  It  needed  only  a  little  resolution, 
a  slight  change  of  mind.  The  wind  was  there,  the 
light  was  there.  The  fire  gleamed  and  beckoned.  All 
was  well  so  far.  The  only  difficulty  was  that  the  de- 
ciding little  possibility  was  wanting  —  the  possibility 
of  Hjor-Leif's  bending  his  mind  the  little  bit  that  was 
necessary  —  the  possibility  of  giving  way.  In  Hjor- 
Leif's  volatile  soul  there  towered  a  steep  rock.  He 
would  see  his  animals  perish  of  hunger  and  thirst,  his 
crew  perish  one  by  one,  and  himself  die  by  any  death 


300         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

whatever  rather  than  turn  his  vessel  and  use  the  favour- 
able wind. 

At  last,  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  a  little  rain 
fell,  and  Hjor-Leif  succeeded  in  collecting  some  water 
in  the  outspread  sail.  That  refreshed  both  men  and 
animals.  Not  till  four  days  after  Ingolf  had  kindled 
his  fire  did  he  see  a  fire  burning  in  answer  on  Hjor-Leif 's 
point.  When  he  told  Helga  that,  she  went  up  on  the 
point,  sat  by  herself,  and  stared  fixedly  at  the  faint  red 
light,  sometimes  hardly  visible,  far  to  the  south-west. 
There  she  remained  sitting  for  two  days  and  nights, 
as  long  as  Hjor-Leif  kept  up  his  fire  in  order  to  be 
sure  that  it  should  be  seen. 

Ingolf  and  Hallveig  had  at  last  begun  to  be  anxious 
for  Helga,  for  she  ate  nothing,  did  not  sleep,  and  hardly 
answered  when  they  spoke  to  her. 

But  when  after  these  two  days  spent  up  there  on 
the  point  she  returned  to  the  tents,  she  was  herself 
again,  and  had  recovered  her  old  self-command.  There 
was  nothing  to  show  either  Ingolf  or  Hallveig  that  she 
carried  about  a  burning  sense  of  bereavement.  Neither 
did  they  know  that  she  lay  whole  and  half  nights  sleep- 
less, breathing  in  fancy  the  rich,  delicious  scent  of  pine 
trees. 

vn 

For  the  second  time  in  his  life  Hjor-Leif  lost  his 
spirits  completely.  After  closer  reflection  he  found  his 
lonely  situation  so  meaningless  and  unjust,  so  devoid  of 
all  reconciling  elements  such  as,  for  example,  a  pros- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        301 

pect  of  adventures  or  opportunity  for  exploits  —  in 
brief,  so  utterly  irrational,  that  he  involuntarily  began 
to  show  his  teeth  at  existence  by  drowning  himself  in 
perpetual  melancholy,  only  now  and  then  interrupted 
by  isolated  attacks  of  ill-temper. 

The  days  encountered  him  heavily  and  sulkily.  It 
seemed  as  if  all  their  endeavours  were  directed  to  show 
him  in  earnest  how  empty  and  tedious  and  intolerable 
they  could  be,  if  they  seriously  set  about  it.  The 
bright,  cloudless  summer  days  sneered  at  him  when  they 
met  him  with  ice-cold  scornful  light  from  sunrise  to 
sunset.  Grey  and  rainy  days,  on  the  other  hand, 
showed  him  without  disguise  their  dull  side.  Hjor- 
Leif  could  not  come  to  an  agreement  with  himself  which 
of  the  two  kinds  of  days  was  really  the  more  intolerable. 
They  were  all  alike  impossible.  The  one  point  he  was 
clear  about  with  regard  to  the  days  was  that  he  had 
without  doubt  still  the  worst  remaining.  He  cursed 
them  with  oaths  which  were  powerful  both  in  length  and 
strength,  and  derived  from  an  inexhaustible  supply. 
But  they  were  no  help  —  not  even  momentarily.  In 
the  battle  with  the  days  he  suffered  one  defeat  after 
another;  they  were  far  stronger  than  he.  They  were 
invincible.  And  they  possessed,  although  he  daily  ex- 
perienced that,  in  spite  of  all,  they  did  pass,  a  peculiar- 
ity of  appearing  endless,  which  deprived  him  of  all  hope. 

Hjor-Leif  tried  in  every  way  to  put  a  little  meaning 
into  them. 

He  set  his  freemen  to  build  a  winter  dwelling,  a 
house  nineteen  fathoms  long.  It  was  to  contain  them 
all,  together  with  their  wives.  He  had  only  taken 


302         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

young,  newly  married  people  with  him  from  Norway, 
with  the  single  exception  of  his  old  headman.  Hjor- 
Leif  did  what  he  could  to  take  a  little  interest  in  the 
work.  But  it  was  only  self-deception.  The  days  did 
not  for  a  moment  let  go  their  wild-beast  clutch  on  his 
neck. 

He  set  the  serfs  to  build  a  house  eighteen  fathoms 
long,  and  bullied  them  till  they  quailed  and  shivered 
and  fell  into  helpless  embarrassment  merely  at  the  sight 
of  him.  Yes,  he  instilled  a  wholesome  terror  into  the 
Irish  serfs.  They  slunk  about,  and  hardly  knew 
whether  to  walk  upright  or  on  all  fours.  And  they  had 
no  eyes  —  at  any  rate,  there  seemed  no  more  any  sight 
in  their  eyes.  Regarding  them,  he  felt  sure  that  he 
had  made  them  harmless  for  ever.  But  it  brought  him 
no  comfort  either  to  treat  them  like  dogs  or  to  realize 
their  harmlessness.  That  did  not  bring  a  spark  of  his 
spirits  back.  There  was  nothing  to  rouse  them  in  that 
quarter. 

One  of  the  items  in  Hjor-Leif's  despairing  and  hope- 
less struggle  with  the  days  was  going  along  the  shore 
and  choosing  driftwood  for  his  buildings.  When  he 
found  a  stout,  solid  plank,  he  marked  it  with  a  stroke 
of  his  ax;  then  he  bade  the  serfs  find  the  planks  so 
marked  and  bring  them  home. 

Sometimes  in  these  wanderings,  Hjor-Leif  found  him- 
self standing  and  hewing  wildly  and  meaninglessly  at  a 
plank,  as  though  his  life  depended  on  cutting  it  into  a 
plaything  for  the  winds.  Whenever  he  awoke  from 
such  an  attack  of  frenzy  he  looked  round  him  with  a 
shamefaced  expression,  and  began  eagerly,  with  a 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        303 

strong  sense  of  humiliation,  to  efface  the  traces  of  it, 
watched  by  the  evil  eye  of  a  hostile  day. 

Hj  or-Leif  had  one  hope,  and  only  one.  His  longing, 
strongly  reinforced  by  his  despair,  had  treated  with  the 
rocky  pride  of  his  soul,  and  the  result  was  a  reason- 
able agreement. 

Therefore  he  went  everywhere  and  searched  for  In- 
golf's  high-seat  pillars.  Not  in  order  to  do  away  with 
them  by  means  of  fire,  but  to  get  an  excuse  for  seeking 
Ingolf  at  once,  and  so  obtaining  an  honourable  and  ac- 
ceptable victory  over  all  that  pained  and  plagued  him. 
Hj  or-Leif  wanted  to  see  what  the  day  would  look  like 
when  by  finding  the  pillars  he  was  able  to  escape  from 
his  wretchedness  with  a  bound. 

This  hope  sustained  him.  But  day  after  day  passed 
without  his  finding  the  pillars.  Not  even  the  sea  and 
tides  were  friendly  disposed  towards  him.  He  talked 
in  a  loud  voice  with  the  sea,  and  reminded  it  of  all  the 
honourable  bouts  they  had  had  with  each  other.  But 
either  the  sea  did  not  hear  or  would  not  recognize  him. 
It  had  perhaps  become  hostile  towards  him,  like  every- 
thing else  in  heaven  and  earth.  Hj  or-Leif  had  been  as 
far  eastward  along  the  coast  as  the  impassible  glacier 
streams  would  let  him  go.  Now  he  turned  westward. 
He  took  food  with  him,  and  remained  away  four  days 
and  nights.  During  his  expedition  he  came  to  know 
a  new  part  of  the  country  which  he  liked,  and  where  he 
could  well  imagine  himself  settling. 

Below  the  green  mountains,  which  first  in  a  steep  as- 
cent and  then  with  a  more  gradual  incline  rose  towards 
the  White  glacier  which  with  its  two  domes  reminded 


304          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

one  of  a  female  giant's  breasts,  the  low  land  stretched 
with  fertile  meadows  and  picturesque  bush-covered 
valleys  and  luxuriant  pastures  towards  the  shining  sea. 
In  the  south-west  green  precipitous  isles  rose  from  the 
sea.  Hjor-Leif  gave  the  mountains  names  after  these 
islands,  which  simultaneously  limited  and  enriched  the 
view,  and  called  them  Island-mountains.  The  western 
dome  of  the  glacier  he  named  the  Island-mountains' 
Glacier;  the  eastern  he  had  already,  after  a  more  east- 
ern district,  baptized  Myrdals-Glacier.  Hjor-Leif  did 
not  turn  round,  for  he  saw  the  land  open  into  a  wide 
bay  towards  the  west.  He  examined  the  shore  outside 
the  Island-mountains  and  Myrdal  very  closely.  It  was 
a  great  disappointment  to  him  that  the  pillars  had  not 
drifted  on  shore  here. 

Hjor-Leif  returned  home  from  this  excursion  still 
more  taciturn  and  depressed  than  he  had  started. 
Wearing  unrest  received  him  with  open  arms  every 
morning  and  did  not  release  him  from  its  evil  embrace 
till  sleep  at  night  had  pity  on  him. 

He  set  some  of  his  men  to  get  in  hay,  others  he  made 
go  out  fishing,  the  rest  he  kept  occupied  with  the  houses. 
It  was  an  insignificant  alleviation  of  his  trouble  to  see 
his  men  busily  occupied.  For  himself  he  had  no  pa- 
tience for  anything.  On  the  walks  which  he  now  and 
then  took  along  the  coast  to  assure  himself  if  the  pillars 
had  not  drifted  on  shore  in  his  immediate  neighbour- 
hood, he  was  no  more  accompanied  by  even  the  small- 
est hope. 

During  these  walks  Helga  was  always  in  his  mind. 
But  not  openly  and  consciously  —  he  scarcely  had  pa- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         305 

ticnce  enough  to  think  of  her  in  that  way.  No,  secretly 
and  hidden  away  she  lived  in  his  mind.  Through  mem- 
ories and  reminiscences  she  was  near  to  him,  without  his 
being  obliged  to  face  the  fact  that  they  were  divided 
from  each  other  by  a  long  distance  and  a  sea  of  days, 
and  that  this  separation  was  due  to  a  stupid  and  cer- 
tainly quite  groundless  foreboding.  He  carried  these 
memories  about  very  tenderly  and  cautiously,  without 
any  intention  of  letting  them  slip  quite  out  of  the  fog 
of  unconsciousness.  As  a  man  dying  of  thirst  sips  dew,\ 
he  cheated  himself  into  a  reminiscent  happiness.  It  I 
was  a  dangerous  proceeding.  For  if  he  woke  from 
the  dream,  his  agony  flung  him  on  the  ground  in  a  pas- 
sion of  tears,  unworthy  of  a  man,  and  which,  more- 
over, brought  no  relief. 

Hjor-Leif  became  at  last  weary  of  the  sea  and  shore. 
He  turned  his  mind  against  them  and  made  enemies 
again  —  evil  emptiness  and  helpless  melancholy  — 
Nature's  immovable  answer  to  all  discontent.  So 
Hjor-Leif  became  hostile  to  all  things  round  him. 
The  echo  of  his  own  mind  met  him  everywhere  and 
tortured  him  as  only  self-inflicted  pain  can  torture. 

He  extended  his  lonely  wanderings  to  the  wide- 
stretching  pastures,  overgrown  with  spreading  coppice- 
wood,  which  reached  from  his  point  right  up  to  the  blue 
mountains.  But  also  in  this  region  he  soon  became 
homeless.  His  inner  want  of  peace  drove  all  peace 
around  him  away. 

When  winter  came,  Hjor-Leif  sat  like  a  bear  in  his 
lair,  alone  with  the  fire  and  his  half-share  of  the  nine- 
teen-fathom-long  house.  It  was  uncomfortable  near 


306         THE   SWORN   BROTHERS 

him.  Therefore  his  men  kept  together  in  their  end  of 
the  house,  even  though  no  fire  burned  there.  They 
were  newly  married,  and  felt  neither  cold  nor  dull. 

The  serfs  slunk  in  now  and  then,  by  twos,  with  fuel 
for  the  fire.  They  shivered,  and  came  hurriedly  away 
from  their  task,  even  though  Hjor-Leif  sat  with 
his  head  in  his  hands  and  did  not  look  at  them 
at  all. 

Hjor-Leif  was  poor  now.  He  was  so  poor  that  he 
caught  himself  longing  for  the  break  in  the  evening's 
brooding  silence,  which  the  serf's  coming  caused.  So 
poor,  that  in  order  not  to  betray  his  poverty  he  showed 
himself  perverse  and  ungracious  towards  his  old  head- 
man, when  the  latter  once  overcame  his  embarrassment 
and,  out  of  devotion  and  sympathy,  sat  with  him  one 
evening.  Either  he  was  silent  with  the  old  man  in  his 
own  comfortlessness,  or  he  pained  him  with  scornful 
words  and  malicious  laughter.  The  old  man  could  not 
understand  how  Hjor-Leif  had  lost  all  his  good  temper 
and  indomitable  spirits,  unless  the  evil  spirits  of  this 
strange  land  had  deprived  him  of  them.  He  could  not 
endure  this  land  where  Hjor-Leif,  his  favourite,  had 
neither  living  nor  dead  foes  to  fight  with.  There  were 
plenty  of  wizards  and  goblins  here,  as  he  had  himself  ex- 
perienced. There  was  an  unearthly  life  in  the  rocks 
and  heights.  But  these  were  creatures  without  value 
for  a  man  eager  for  battle.  One  could  not  attack  them 
weapon  in  hand.  The  sacred  iron  could  only  protect 
one  against  them,  and  keep  them  out  of  the  house. 

Hjor-Leif 's  old  headman  fought  bravely  with  his  fear 
and  discomfort  for  an  obviously  bewitched  man.  But 


THE   SWORN   BROTHERS         307 

there  came  an  end,  and  he  also  gave  up  Hjor-Leif  and 
let  him  sit  alone  by  the  fire. 

For  days  and  nights  together  the  storm  and  hail  beat 
on  the  house  with  howlings  and  threatening  hootings. 
The  winter  days  were  often  only  an  indistinct  glimmer. 
And  in  the  uncanny  winter  night  all  evil  spirits  were 
loose. 

Hjor-Leif  sat  through  the  long  evenings  in  his  bitter- 
ness alone  by  the  fire.  And  even  the  fire,  his  only 
friend  in  the  wintry  emptiness,  now  showed  fits  of  en- 
mity, and  spat  out  evil  smoke  which  struck  his  breast 
like  a  tearing  cough. 

Hjor-Leif  sat  most  often  with  his  face  in  his  hands. 
By  doing  so  he,  as  it  were,  shut  himself  into  himself, 
and  cheated  in  a  measure  the  evil  powers  in  him  and 
round  him.  But  there  was  a  danger  in  thus  sitting 
hugging  his  pain.  Solitude  used  the  opportunity  to 
whisper  words  of  madness  in  his  ear.  And  often  Hjor- 
Leif  was  near  forgetting  himself,  and  beginning  to 
listen  to  its  alluring,  unbridled  talk. 

But  then  sleep  came,  and  saved  him,  and  gave  him 
some  hours'  forgetfulness.  A  forgetfulness  which,  how- 
ever short  it  was,  armed  him  for  the  morrow's  encoun- 
ter with  a  hostile,  desolate,  and  lonely  day. 


VIII 

Now  there  is  this  to  be  told  of  Ingolf,  that  when  he 
had  found  a  practicable  harbour,  and  unloaded  his  ship 
and  drawn  it  on  land,  he  set  his  men  immediately  to 


308         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

work  at  building  winter  dwellings  for  men  and  animals. 

He  himself  rode  about  on  horseback,  followed  by  a 
young  serf,  Vifel,  who  had  grown  up  in  his  father's 
house,  and  whom  he  valued  greatly.  He  examined  the 
district,  and  took  long  rides  along  the  shore  to  look  for 
the  pillars  of  his  high-seat.  He  made  use  of  his  oppor- 
tunities, and  was  satisfied.  The  district  suited  him  in 
many  ways.  From  his  point  he  commanded  a  wide  view 
eastward  and  westward  along  the  coast  —  the  most  ex- 
tensive view  he  remembered  to  have  seen. 

Some  distance  inland,  exactly  opposite  the  point, 
divided  from  it  by  luxuriant  pasture-land,  there  rose  a 
steep,  high  mountain.  On  both  sides  of  it  the  circle  of 
mountains  retired,  on  the  south-west  side  in  a  wide  curve. 
Behind  this  mountain  rose  the  glacier,  a  gigantic  pile  of 
ice  glittering  white  in  the  distance,  which  sent  wrinkled 
feelers  down  all  the  ravines  as  if  to  taste  the  lowland. 
Remarkably  enough,  no  cold  emanated  from  this  huge 
mass  of  ice ;  on  the  contrary,  it  seemed  to  warm  the  air, 
perhaps  by  attracting  all  the  bad  weather  and  cold  to  its 
far  summit,  which  was  only  seldom  visible.  On  both 
sides  of  the  point  there  stretched  barren  sand  along  the 
coast  intersected  by  countless  glacier  streams.  These 
sands  in  some  places  spread  themselves  inland  till  they 
met  the  edge  of  the  glacier.  But  the  wide-stretching 
pasture-land  along  the  mountains,  which  this  barren 
sand  surrounded,  was  of  a  peculiarly  rich  fertility. 
There  was  abundance  of  coppice-wood,  which  in  places 
grew  close  up  to  the  glacier  and  presented  a  singular 
appearance.  The  cattle  throve  well  here.  The  air  was 
full  of  warm  moisture,  and  was  suitable  for  grass  and 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         309 

cattle  and  men.  Ingolf  had  to  admit  that  the  summer 
was  better  and  the  soil  more  luxuriant  here  than  in  the 
Svanefjords.  At  the  same  time,  he  wished  his  pillars 
would  drift  ashore  in  the  Svanefjords.  And  in  this 
Hallveig  was  one  with  him. 

Secretly  he  derived  not  a  little  hope  from  the  circum- 
stance that  the  pillars  had  apparently  taken  an  east- 
ward direction  when  he  saw  them  drift  away  from  the 
ship.  Who  could  say  ?  —  perhaps  it  was  to  the  Svane- 
f  jords !  He  did  not  dare  to  wish  anything  in  that  way ; 
it  was  for  Odin  to  decide  it.  And  it  would  be  presump- 
tuous of  him  to  wish  to  instruct  or  to  influence  the  One- 
eyed  with  the  ravens.  But  many  things  pass  through 
one's  thoughts  which  one  cannot  control.  Odin  must 
know  that  and  would  excuse  it. 

Ingolf  endured  the  suspense  for  two  months.  Then 
he  prepared  for  a  long  expedition  with  his  serf,  Vifel. 
Hallveig  did  not  like  this  journey.  Both  Ingolf  and  his 
men  had  told  her  so  much  about  the  impassable  glacier 
streams.  Ingolf,  however,  quieted  her  by  promising  to 
show  all  possible  caution.  But  he  wished  to  go  and 
look  for  himself  in  the  Svanefjords. 

Ingolf  and  his  serf  rode  over  the  sand-dunes.  On 
each  sand-hill  sat  a  gull.  Full  of  an  injured  sense  of 
proprietorship,  the  birds  sat  there  and  followed  silently 
with  an  inscrutable  look  these  strange  animals  who 
brought  disturbance  into  the  landscape.  These  sands 
were  intersected  by  a  countless  number  of  powerful 
glacier  streams.  But  fortunately  the  glacier  proved 
passable  in  that  part,  so  that  Ingolf  and  his  companion 
succeeded  in  circumventing  the  rivers  in  that  way. 


310         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  they  were  again 
stopped  by  a  glacier  stream  as  broad  as  a  fjord,  and 
with  a  treacherous  bottom  of  fine  sand.  It  traversed 
the  district  Ingolf  and  Leif  had  penetrated  on  their  ex- 
pedition southward  from  the  Svanefjords  the  previous 
summer.  Ingolf  tried  to  circumvent  it  in  the  same  way 
as  he  had  the  other  river.  But  here  the  glacier  was  so 
full  of  deep  crevasses  along  and  across  its  course,  that 
after  many  vain  attempts  he  had  to  give  it  up.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  turn  round  and  put  off  the 
examination  of  the  coast  till  the  winter  had  bridged  with 
ice  the  impassable  rivers. 

The  remainder  of  the  summer  passed  in  winter  prepa- 
rations of  all  kinds.  There  were  plenty  of  things  to 
take  in  hand  and  look  after. 

Ingolf  kept  an  eye  on  his  sister,  Helga,  and  showed 
her  great  friendliness  in  his  words  and  behaviour.  He 
could  not  exactly  ascertain  the  real  state  of  her  feelings. 
She  was  quiet  as  ever,  and  all  smiles  and  good-humour. 
She  played  with  the  boy,  helped  Hallveig,  and  there  was 
apparently  nothing  in  the  least  the  matter  with  her 
spirits.  But  Ingolf  had  now  and  then,  early  in  the 
morning,  before  any  one  else  was  up,  surprised  her 
standing  staring  with  a  long  look  towards  the  distant 
mountains  that  showed  bluish  in  the  south-west.  In 
that  direction  lay  Hjor-Leif's  point,  although  so  far 
away  that  it  could  not  be  discerned.  It  cut  Ingolf  to 
the  heart  to  see  his  sister  stand  gazing  so  —  her  face 
was  so  unusually  pale  in  the  mornings,  and  her  blue  eyes 
darker  than  at  other  times,  as  though  shadowed  by  a 
twilight  below  them. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         311 

He  had  been  many  times  on  the  point  of  telling  her 
about  the  last  words  he  had  exchanged  with  Leif.  For 
he  knew  that  she  was  not  aware  of  Hjor-Leif's  real 
reason  for  letting  her  remain  behind  with  himself  and 
Hallveig,  and  had  no  idea  what  she  thought  about  it. 
But  on  further  reflection  he  gave  up  the  thought  of  tell- 
ing her  every  time.  Perhaps  by  doing  so  he  would  only 
cause  her  unnecessary  anxiety  and  sorrow.  She  would 
certainly  hardly  be  so  quiet  as  now,  if  she  were  seriously 
anxious  for  Hjor-Leif.  Best  not  to  interfere  with  her 
thoughts.  For  his  own  part,  Ingolf  was  not  for  an 
instant  afraid  of  anything  happening  to  Hjor-Leif, 
though  he  agreed  with  him  that  it  was  best  not  to  ex- 
pose Helga  to  the  results  of  any  conspiracy  among  the 
serfs,  which  he  might  well  have  reason  to  fear.  But  In- 
golf knew  Hjor-Leif.  Even  if  his  brother  had  been 
alone  with  the  ten  seditious  serfs  he  would  not  have  felt 
anxious  for  him.  Hjor-Leif  was  on  the  watch,  and  he 
had  successfully  managed  worse  situations. 

The  winter  began  with  slight  frost  and  much  snow. 
It  was  past  Yuletide  before  the  rivers  were  frozen. 

As  soon  as  possible,  Ingolf  equipped  Vifel  and  an- 
other of  his  serfs,  named  Karle,  and  sent  them  eastward 
along  the  coast  with  orders  to  examine  closely  every 
creek  and  every  promontory,  and  not  to  return  till  they 
had  inspected  both  Svanefjords,  except  in  the  event  of 
their  finding  the  pillars  before. 

The  serfs  experienced  wretched  weather,  with  snow- 
storms and  intense  frost.  They  remained  away  for  two 
weeks,  and  returned  hungry  and  weary.  They  had 
examined  the  coast-line  as  far  as  north  of  the  Svane- 


3i2         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

fjords,  but  seen  nothing  of  the  pillars  anywhere.  When 
they  had  informed  Ingolf,  he  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and 
gave  up  the  Svanefjords. 

He  allowed  the  serfs  time  to  rest  and  recover  after 
their  severe  experience.  Then  he  ordered  them  to  get 
ready  again.  This  time  he  gave  them  horses  and  sem 
diem  westward  along  the  coast.  He  enjoined  them  not 
to  return  till  they  had  found  Hjor-Leif.  If  they  had 
not  found  the  pillars  before  they  met  him  they  were  to 
tell  Hjor-Leif  to  come  westward  with  his  men  and  cattle 
as  soon  as  summer  was  in  the  air  and  a  sea-passage  was 
safe. 

But  spring  came  this  time  earlier  than  it  was  ex- 
pected. Already  in  the  night  before  the  serfs  started, 
a  warm  and  strong  south-west  wind  began  to  melt  the 
snows  and  melt  the  ice  that  covered  the  rivers.  The 
serfs  only  succeeded  in  passing  the  nearest  rivers  on  ice. 
By  the  second  day  they  could  neither  get  forward  nor 
backward  by  reason  of  furious  rivers  which  carried 
huge  volumes  of  muddy  water  and  great  blocks  of  ice. 
But  they  had  to  push  on,  and  did  so  with  the  horses' 
help,  although  they  often  wasted  days  in  finding  a  ford, 
and  sometimes  had  to  let  themselves  be  dragged  through 
the  water,  hanging  on  to  the  horses'  tails  or  manes.  It 
was  the  worst  journey  that  Vifel  and  Karle  had  ever 
been  out  on,  and  it  was  only  due  to  Vifel's  endurance 
and  fidelity  that  they  went  forward  and  escaped  with 
their  lives.  On  the  way  they  met  men  —  Irish  monks 
—  who  here  far  inland  had  built  a  temple  with  a  brazen 
voice  which  shook  the  air.  The  monks  questioned  them, 
and  seemed  displeased  with  what  they  had  to  narrate. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         313 

They  did  not  show  them  much  friendliness.  But  Vifel 
and  Karle  were  eternally  thankful  for  merely  escaping 
with  life  from  these  strange  men  who  were  in  covenant 
with  a  god,  the  sound  of  whose  voice  alone  cast  them 
terror-struck  to  the  earth. 

At  last  the  serfs  reached  Hjor-Leif's  point.  They 
had  been  fourteen  days  on  the  journey.  They  found 
the  houses  empty  and  the  place  forsaken.  They  went 
down  to  the  shore  and  found  the  ship.  The  boats,  on 
the  other  hand,  were  gone.  Not  the  slightest  sign  of 
life  was  visible  anywhere. 


IX 

Hjor-Leif  saw  the  winter  come  to  an  end  at  last. 
He  lay  one  night  and  heard  the  tone  of  the  wind  change. 
He  knew  the  eager  and  implacable  voice  of  the  south-east 
wind.  It  did  not  surprise  him  then  to  hear  a  dripping 
indoors  and  out. 

His  heart  began  to  beat  a  little  as  he  lay  there. 
But  he  lay  still,  did  not  jump  from  his  bed,  did  not  run 
to  salute  the  spring  and  bid  its  warm  wind  take  the  bad 
weather  from  him,  as  in  other  circumstances  he  would 
have  done.  There  was  not  much  left  of  Hjor-Leif's 
strength  now.  He  did  not  awake  with  the  spring. 
Generally  he  was  accustomed  to  avoid  the  house  when 
spring  had  first  come.  But  this  time  he  remained 
within,  sick  in  mind,  and  without  power  to  shake  off  the 
burden  of  winter  and  his  bereavement.  He  remained 
sitting  indoors  while  the  young  year  awoke  the  earth 


314         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

from  winter's  sleep,  without  paying  attention  to  it. 
That  was  not  like  Hjor-Leif.  Indeed,  it  was  so  unlike 
him,  that  his  men  avoided  each  other's  looks  and  did  not 
speak  about  him.  He  got  out  of  his  bed  each  morning 
with  a  sigh,  clothed  himself  wearily,  and  went  slowly 
and  sluggishly  out  to  see  how  far  the  spring  was  ad- 
vanced, and  if  the  weather  held.  If  it  was  bright  he 
went  up  on  the  point  and  looked  eastward  over  the  land 
and  over  the  sea.  Then  he  went  home  again,  dragging 
his  feet  like  an  old  man  or  an  invalid,  and  wrapped 
himself  in  his  solitude  and  waited.  It  was  still  too  early 
in  the  year  for  Ingolf  to  be  coming  —  Ingolf  and  Helga. 
He  hardly  dared  to  think  of  her  name.  The  very 
thought  scorched  and  burnt  his  wounded  soul  that  by 
this  separation  which  he  had  insisted  on  he  had  caused 
Helga  fresh  grief.  His  own  sufferings  were  indeed 
bitterly  deserved  —  that  he  had  to  acknowledge  —  but 
that  did  not  make  them  any  easier.  The  thought  made 
the  wilderness  of  his  soul  even  more  desolate.  Self- 
caused,  self-deserved,  every  torturing  day,  every  sleep- 
forsaken  night,  every  suffering,  every  whip-lash  of  long- 
ing, altogether  self-caused,  without  reason  and  to  no 
use.  That  was  bad  enough  to  think  about.  But  it 
was  worse  with  Helga  —  Helga  who  might  have  reason 
to  believe  that  he  had  left  her  behind  in  cold  blood,  and 
to  think  that  perhaps  he  looked  forward  without  long- 
ing to  seeing  her  again.  The  thought  was  so  intolerable 
that  at  times  it  seemed  as  if  his  head  would  split  and  his 
heart  stop  beating.  These  and  similar  thoughts  tor- 
tured Hjor-Leif,  bat  he  sat  and  let  the  tedious  hours 
pass. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        315 

Outside,  the  spring  winds  raged,  while  he  sat  within. 
The  spring's  gladness  found  no  way  to  his  soul.  His 
exhausted  heart  could  not  welcome  the  days  in  its  em- 
brace and  rejoice  at  the  prospect  of  soon  meeting 
Helga. 

Hjor-Leif  used  every  opportunity  of  bullying  the 
serfs.  He  heaped  on  them  kicks  and  blows  whenever 
the  fancy  took  him,  and  often  without  cause.  He  hated 
these  serfs,  who  crept  before  him  like  vermin,  so  dog- 
like  and  abject  that  they  did  not  dare  to  show  the 
glances  of  their  eyes.  His  fear  of  their  combining  and 
attacking  him  and  his  men  had  long  ago  died  out  of  his 
mind  to  the  last  spark,  and  it  seemed  to  him  now  both 
ridiculous  and  incredible  that  he  had  ever  cherished 
such  a  thought.  These  abject  animals,  these  crook- 
backed  creatures !  Their  fault  it  was  —  all  that  he  had 
had  to  suffer  this  year.  And  they  should  pay  for  it! 
To  the  end  of  their  wretched  days  they  should  pay  for 
it !  Blows  they  should  have  —  blows  and  kicks.  He 
would  fill  their  currish  hearts  with  never-appeased  fear. 
He  would  not  kill  them;  they  should  live  and  suffer. 
In  all  that  concerned  the  serfs,  Hjor-Leif  was  implac- 
able. He  had  succeeded  in  inspiring  them  with  such 
terror  that  there  was  not  a  look  in  their  eyes,  nor  speech 
in  their  tongue,  save  when  they  were  alone  and  sure 
of  not  being  seen  or  heard. 

As  soon  as  the  earth  was  released  from  the  frost  to  a 
spade's  depth  Hjor-Leif  set  his  serfs  to  plough  a  piece 
of  pasture-land  west  of  the  point.  They  had  an  ox  to 
draw  the  plough. 

And  now  the  serfs'  time  had  come.     Duftak,  who  had 


316          THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

many  kicks  and  cuffs  to  avenge,  had  hatched  a  plan. 
The  opportunity  was  ready  to  hand. 

When  Duftak  and  another  serf  went  off  in  the  morn- 
ing with  ox  and  plough,  he  gave  the  other  serfs  a  signal. 
They  had  knives  and  clubs  hidden  here  and  there.  Now 
these  were  produced  and  concealed  in  their  rags.  The 
serfs  were  ready. 

As  soon  as  Hjor-Leif  s  free  men  had  gone  into  their 
morning  meal,  Duftak  stabbed  the  ox  with  a  knife  in  its 
neck  and  set  out  running  home  with  the  other  serfs  close 
on  his  heels.  Breathlessly  Duftak  burst  in  to  Hjor- 
Leif,  and  stammered,  apparently  in  the  greatest  terror : 
"A  bear!  A  bear!" 

The  serf's  fear  seemed  quite  genuine.  Hjor-Leif 
seized  him  by  the  neck,  shook  him,  and  quickly  learnt 
from  him  that  a  bear  had  come  out  of  the  wood  and  had 
killed  the  ox. 

Everything  happened  as  Duftak  had  foreseen. 
Hjor-Leif  let  him  go,  strangely  enough  without  the 
usual  kick,  shouted  to  his  men,  and  bade  them  follow 
him  and  look  for  the  bear,  and  scatter  themselves  well 
in  the  thickets,  so  that  the  beast  should  not  escape. 
Then  he  seized  his  ax  and  spear  and  ran. 

Ah,  this  meant  something  for  Hjor-Leif.  His  heart 
was  again  in  its  place,  and  beat  gladly  and  quietly. 
The  bear  came  as  though  sent  by  good  fortune  itself. 
His  soul  expanded  with  a  great  and  happy  sense  of 
freedom.  He  sprang  like  a  boy  out  of  doors,  and  for- 
got in  his  haste  to  take  his  sword  with  him. 

Duftak  only  hesitated  a  brief  moment  —  then  he 
seized  the  sword  and  ran  after  Hjor-Leif.  He  had  un- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         317 

dertaken  to  tackle  him  by  himself  alone,  and  the  sword 
was  better  than  his  short  knife. 

Everything  happened  as  Duf tak  had  calculated  — 
while  his  men  dispersed  in  the  thicket,  Hjor-Leif  ran 
to  the  ox.  Duftak  had  counted  on  this  curiosity  in 
his  master.  He  knew  that  he  must  see  how  the  bear  had 
treated  the  ox,  before  he  began  the  pursuit.  Hjor-Leif 
set  off  in  long  bounds,  light  at  heart  and  untroubled. 
The  old  love  of  adventure  had  awakened  in  him.  He 
was  too  much  absorbed  to  notice  that  the  serf  was  close 
at  his  heels. 

Hjor-Leif  reached  the  ox,  stopped  and  started,  bent 
down  over  it,  then  slowly  raised  himself.  His  thoughts 
stood  still  for  a  moment  in  surprise.  What  was  this? 
The  ox  had  been  stabbed.  Was  the  story  about  the 
bear  only  a  lie?  He  turned  quietly  and  as  though 
stupefied,  and  looked  round  him. 

Just  opposite  him  stood  Duftak,  with  Hjor-Leif's 
sword  lifted  —  the  point  quivered  straight  in  front  of 
his  breast. 

The  recollection  of  the  monk's  saying  flashed  through 
Hjor-Leif's  mind,  like  a  momentary  weakness  and  ir- 
resolution. Then  —  before  he  knew  it  —  the  gold-in- 
laid blade  of  the  sword  flashed,  and  he  collapsed  with  a 
chill  sensation  between  his  ribs  —  a  strange,  not  uncom- 
fortable sensation,  which,  however,  was  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  a  pang  and  a  loud  crash,  in  which  earth  and 
sky  disappeared. 

As  Hjor-Leif  sank,  a  lightning  thought  reminded  him 
that  Helga  was  in  safety.  Ah,  Helga  was  safe !  A  dim 
consciousness  that  he  had  not  suffered  in  vain  settled 


318         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

like  a  faint  smile  on  his  large  mouth.  The  blood 
poured  steaming  and  gushing  out  of  his  neck.  And  so 
the  world  passed  from  him.  .  .  . 

Hjor-Leif  had  lived,  and  life  had  done  with  him. 
He  had  paid  the  price  of  life,  as  was  meet  and  right. 

Once  more  the  mistletoe  branch  had  struck  down  the 
invulnerable. 


One  night  towards  morning  Ingolf  was  awakened  by 
the  tramping  of  horses'  hoofs.  He  had  begun  to  be 
anxious  lest  the  serfs,  who  had  been  away  the  best  part 
of  a  month,  might  have  perished,  and,  springing  out  of 
bed,  dressed  quickly  and  threw  a  cloak  over  him. 

Yes,  it  was  Vifel  and  Karle  home  at  last.  When  he 
came  out,  they  were  standing  outside  in  the  half-light 
night  and  talking  softly  together.  They  had  not  yet 
taken  the  saddles  off  the  horses.  Their  manner  showed 
clearly  that  they  were  the  bearers  of  evil  tidings.  Both 
turned  their  heads  when  Ingolf  opened  the  door,  but 
remained  standing  irresolute,  and  forgot  to  salute. 

Ingolf  stood  still  for  a  moment.  Then  he  went  up  to 
them,  greeted  them  quietly,  and  bade  Karle  take  the 
saddles  off  the  horses  and  go  and  sleep.  "  You  had  bet- 
ter not  talk  to  any  one,"  Ingolf  concluded,  turning  to 
Karle.  Then  he  laid  his  hand  on  Vifel's  shoulder  and  led 
him  round  behind  the  house.  There  they  could  best 
stand  and  talk  undisturbed.  Vifel  was  so  silent  that 
stillness  seemed  to  envelop  him  like  an  invisible  vapour 
in  the  air. 

When  they  had  come  to  the  back  of  the  house,  Ingolf 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         319 

let  go  of  Vifel's  shoulder  and  leaned  against  the  wall  of 
the  house.  His  first  heavy  foreboding  had  quickly 
turned  into  a  dawning  certainty  —  a  certainty  which  all 
but  overpowered  him.  For  a  few  interminable  moments 
he  remained  standing  there,  leaning  against  the  wall, 
and  staring  to  the  eastward,  where  a  faint  flush  on  the 
steel-blue  vault  of  the  sky  announced  the  coming  of  the 
sun.  He  avoided  looking  at  Vifel,  whose  expression  and 
behaviour  so  inexorably  revealed  what  had  happened. 
He  shrank  from  having  his  last  despairing  hope  anni- 
hilated. He  must  have  an  interval  before  he  could  en- 
dure to  have  his  fears,  his  all  but  certain  foreboding, 
confirmed  by  the  pitiless  word. 

The  sun  rose  and  was  free  of  the  clouds  on  the  hori- 
zon before  his  mind  had  slowly  reached  the  point  that 
uncertainty  was  intolerable  to  him. 

He  cast  a  glance  at  the  serf.  Vifel  stood  and  wept, 
silent  and  motionless.  The  tears  ran  in  streams  over 
his  cheeks,  and  left  light  streaks  behind  them. 

"What  have  you  to  tell?"  Ingolf  asked  at  last, 
with  forced  quietude. 

"  Hjor-Leif's  death,"  stammered  the  serf,  with  chat- 
tering teeth. 

There  was  a  long  pause.  Ingolf  had  bowed  his  head, 
and  stood  with  closed  eyes  and  compressed  lips.  He 
wept. 

At  last,  without  raising  his  head  or  opening  his  eyes, 
he  gave  the  serf  a  sign  to  continue. 

Vifel  finished  weeping  and  began  stammeringly : 
"  When  we  came  to  the  point  we  found  the  houses  empty. 
We  saw  no  one  anywhere.  We  found  the  ship  in  its 


320         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

place  down  by  the  shore,  but  both  boats  had  gone.  We 
began  to  search  the  fields  and  the  undergrowth  round 
the  point.  First  we  found  Hjor-Leif.  He  lay  in  a 
field  near  the  house  by  the  side  of  a  piece  of  ploughed 
earth.  He  had  been  killed  by  a  stab  in  the  breast.  We 
continued  searching,  and  found  gradually  most  of  his 
men,  scattered  about  in  the  undergrowth,  all  dead. 
Some  of  them  had  been  obviously  stabbed  from  behind, 
others  had  many  wounds,  which  witnessed  to  a  fight 
having  taken  place.  The  serfs  and  women  we  saw  no- 
where." 

"  Hjor-Leif  had  a  foreboding  of  that,"  was  the 
thought  that  passed  through  Ingolf's  mind  when  the 
serf  was  silent. 

Ingolf  remained  standing  quite  still.  His  heart 
hammered  and  beat,  "  Leif !  Leif !  "  At  last  he  lifted 
his  head  and  looked  round  him  with  weary  eyes.  His 
look  had  become  very  desolate.  Otherwise  there  was 
nothing  to  notice  in  him,  now  that  there  was  no  more 
doubt  and  the  first  strong  burst  of  grief  was  over. 

In  a  quiet  voice  he  questioned  the  serf  more  closely, 
and  learned  that  he  and  Karle  had  buried  those  of  Hjor- 
Leif's  men  whom  they  had  found.  Hjor-Leif  himself 
they  had  covered  and  left  lying  where  they  had  found 
him. 

A  strange  slackness  had  come  over  Ingolf.  Now  and 
then  he  roused  himself  and  put  a  question  to  the  serf. 
Each  time  the  serf  had  answered,  there  was  again  a 
long  pause. 

Ingolf  gradually  got  an  account  of  their  journey. 
Vifel  told  him  of  the  difficult  rivers,  of  the  monks  and 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         321 

their  temple,  and  how  he  and  Karle  had  caught  and 
killed  one  of  Hjor-Leif's  sheep,  which  they  had  found 
in  the  thicket,  as  food  for  their  home  journey. 

Helga  was  up  this  morning  early  as  usual.  She  was 
generally  out  before  any  one  else,  especially  when  the 
weather  was  bright.  It  was  in  the  early  morning  that 
she  could  best  go  out,  unseen  and  undisturbed,  to  stand 
and  gaze  towards  the  distant  mountains  in  the  south- 
west which  hid  Hjor-Leif  in  their  blue  mist. 

This  morning,  as  soon  as  she  stepped  out  of  the  door, 
she  heard  quiet  voices  behind  the  house.  She  could  not 
distinguish  words,  but  only  heard  the  sound.  This  half- 
heard  conversation  filled  her  at  once  with  a  peculiar  fear, 
and  when  she  recognized  Vifel's  voice  her  heart  beat 
violently.  A  vague  alarm  filled  her  breast  and  rose 
choking  to  her  throat.  For  some  time  she  remained 
standing  and  could  not  move  from  the  spot  —  stood 
leaning  heavily  against  the  house-wall,  and  pressed  her 
hand  to  her  heart.  Then  the  voices  were  suddenly 
silent.  There  was  stillness  behind  the  house.  What 
could  Ingolf  and  Vifel  have  to  talk  about  in  such  a  tone? 
Why  had  Ingolf  not  roused  her  at  once?  She  knew 
how  restlessly  he  was  expecting  the  serf's  arrival. 

At  last  Helga  dragged  herself  the  few  steps  round 
the  house.  She  both  hoped  and  feared  that  she  must 
have  made  a  mistake —  that  it  was  not  Vifel's  voice 
she  had  heard.  But  she  must  have  certainty.  Her 
fear  was  crushing  her. 

Yes,  there  stood  Vifel,  and  there  stood  Ingolf. 
Helga  only  needed  to  see  them ;  the  first  glance  told  her 
everything.  Ingolf  immediately  saw  his  sister,  and  by  a 


322         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

powerful  effort  succeeded  in  collecting  himself  and  going 
quietly  towards  her.  As  he  went,  he  said  quietly  to  the 
serf :  "  Go  and  sleep,  Vifel.  You  are  a  free  man." 
Vifel  departed  silently.  He  did  not  take  the  opportun- 
ity to  thank  Ingolf.  His  highest  hope  was  at  last  and 
unexpectedly  fulfilled,  yet  he  wept  as  he  went. 

When  Ingolf  had  reached  his  sister  he  stood  still  in 
perplexity.  There  was  in  her  look  a  mingling  of  prayer 
and  certainty  which  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  say 
anything.  There  was  a  restlessness  about  Helga  which 
made  it  impossible  for  her  to  stand  still. 

"  Let  us  go,"  she  said  appealingly.  Side  by  side 
brother  and  sister  went  over  the  ground  without  speak- 
ing a  word. 

Where  the  coppice  wood  began,  they  turned  and  went 
back  towards  the  houses.  So  they  continued  walking  to 
and  fro,  silently,  side  by  side.  The  sun  had  risen,  and 
already  stood  high. 

Ingolf 's  men,  who  had  learnt  of  Hjor-Leif's  death 
from  Vifel,  kept  within  doors.  None  wished  to  disturb 
Ingolf  and  Helga.  Hallveig  had  been  out  and  glanced 
towards  the  pair.  Then  she  had  slipped  in  again  to 
her  boy.  Helga's  grief  made  her  very  heavy  at  heart. 

To  and  fro,  keeping  step,  Ingolf  and  Helga  went. 
Helga  felt  as  if  she  could  not  stop.  As  long  as  she 
could  walk  so,  keeping  herself  in  movement,  it  seemed 
as  if  there  was  nothing  which  had  ceased  —  ended.  So 
long  as  she  had  heard  nothing,  perhaps  nothing  had 
happened.  There  were  life  and  happiness  at  stake  in 
continuing  to  walk  —  to  walk,  and  not  stand  still. 

There  was  no  sobbing  in  Helga's  breast.     It  was  so 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         323 

empty  within.  A  clammy  pressure  held  her  heart  im- 
prisoned in  apathy.  There  were  no  tears  in  her  eyes. 
She  was  far  past  the  narrow  limits  of  weeping.  Only 
a  great  and  threatening  stillness  and  emptiness  in  her 
soul,  and  round  her  a  waste  wilderness  that  would 
swallow  her  as  soon  as  she  stood  still. 

At  last  she  was  so  exhausted  that  she  had  to  drag 
herself  forward  with  the  help  of  her  brother's  arm.  In- 
golf  helped  her,  supported  her,  and  held  her  up.  He 
was  in  great  distress.  She  walked  there  quivering  on 
his  arm,  and  he  had  no  comfort  to  give  her.  Such 
heavy  hours  Ingolf  had  never  experienced.  He  forgot 
his  own  sorrow :  it  was  as  nothing  beside  his  sister's  mute 
despair.  His  whole  soul  was  engrossed  in  her.  His 
powerlessness,  his  complete  perplexity,  his  lack  of  any 
word  to  comfort  her,  drove  all  other  feelings  out  of  his 
mind. 

At  last  Helga  had  to  give  up.  Her  strength  was 
spent.  Exhausted,  she  sank  in  his  arms.  He  laid  her 
carefully  down,  and  she  remained  lying  with  half-closed 
eyes,  breathing  heavily  and  slowly ;  then  she  fell  asleep. 
Ingolf  remained  sitting  by  her  side  and  gazing  intently 
on  her  pale,  tired  face.  She  continued  sighing  in  her 
sleep.  Ingolf  could  not  take  his  eyes  from  her.  "  This 
was  what  Leif  feared,"  was  the  thought  that  echoed 
within  him.  There  were  not  very  many  thoughts  in 
his  brain,  stunned  as  it  was  by  his  own  and  his  sister's 
grief. 

When  he  had  been  sitting  thus  for  some  time,  Hall- 
veig  came  out  to  him  from  the  house  with  her  boy  on 
her  arm.  She  could  no  longer  endure  the  loneliness. 


324         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

She  sat  down  silently  by  Ingolf's  side.  Her  eyes  were 
circled  with  red  rims,  and  there  was  a  peculiar  wry  smile 
on  her  face,  called  forth  by  the  struggle  to  keep  her 
tears  down.  When  she  had  sat  a  little  and  looked  at 
the  sleeping  Helga,  she  could  do  no  more ;  she  leant  her 
head  against  her  husband,  hid  her  face,  and  wept. 

Little  Thorsten  prattled  cheerfully,  and  struggled  to 
get  down  to  Helga.  Ingolf  had  to  begin  to  play  with 
him  in  order  to  make  him  sit  still.  The  child's  un- 
troubled chatter  cut  him  to  the  heart. 

Helga  slept  but  a  short  time.  Suddenly  she  opened 
her  eyes,  rose  abruptly,  and  looked  about  her  in  be- 
wilderment. 

"  What  is  this?  Why  am  I  lying  here?  "  she  asked 
in  an  astonished  voice.  As  soon  as  she  spoke,  she  felt  a 
choking  in  her  throat,  and  remembered  all  of  a  sudden 
what  had  happened,  and  why  she  lay  there.  Then  she 
collapsed  with  a  groan,  and  remained  sitting  for  a 
while  with  her  face  hidden  in  her  hands.  Then  she 
straightened  herself  abruptly. 

"  How  did  it  happen?  "  she  asked  in  a  hoarse,  un- 
controlled voice,  and  looked  straight  in  front  of  her 
with  a  hard  expression  on  her  young  face.  And  when 
Ingolf  did  not  answer  at  once,  she  added  in  a  still  more 
unrestrained  tone :  "  Tell  me  at  once !  " 

Ingolf  told  her,  hesitatingly  and  in  disconnected 
words,  that  his  serfs  had  found  Hjor-Leif  and  his  men 
dead.  It  looked  as  if  Hjor-Leif's  Irish  serfs  had  killed 
them. 

"  But  the  women  ?  "  Helga  asked  in  the  same  tone  as 
before. 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         325 

Ingolf  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  serfs  must  have 
taken  the  women  with  them  to  whatever  hiding  they  had 
sought.  He  added  a  few  cautious  words  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  grounds  for  supposing  that  Hjor-Leif  al- 
ready a  year  ago  had  been  afraid  of  what  had  now 
happened,  and  that  therefore  he  had  let  her  remain  with 
him  and  Hallveig. 

Then  Helga  laughed,  if  the  sound  which  issued  from 
her  throat  could  be  called  laughter. 

"  It  is  all  the  same  now,"  she  said  in  a  hard  voice. 

Then  she  collected  herself  and  stretched  out  her  hand 
toward  the  child.  For  a  while  she  sat  stroking  his  hair 
and  trying  to  smile  at  him.  Then  suddenly  she  gave 
Hallveig  the  boy  and  looked  up  at  her  brother  with  a 
look  that  revealed  all  her  hopeless  despair  without  dis- 
guise, and  said :  "  I  want  to  see  him.  Can  we  not  go 
there?  " 

Her  voice  was  hoarse  and  passionate  as  before. 
There  was  nothing  to  recall  her  former  soft  and  gentle 
tone,  but  the  hardness  was  gone. 

"  We  will  go  as  soon  as  we  can,"  answered  Ingolf 
quietly. 

Helga  rose  impatiently.  She  was  a  little  unsteady  on 
her  legs,  but  declined  all  support  both  from  her  brother 
and  her  sister-in-law. 

"  Let  us  not  waste  time,"  she  said  irritably,  and 
stumbled  towards  the  houses. 

Ingolf  and  Hallveig  followed  her  in  silence.  Hallveig 
took  the  boy  on  her  arm  again. 

That  same  day  the  ship  was  launched.  Day  and 
night  they  worked  with  feverish  haste  to  load  it.  The 


326         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

next  day  it  lay  ready  for  sea,  and  in  the  evening  the 
weather  was  fair  for  sailing. 

Ingolf  wondered  a  little  at  Helga.  She  did  not  weep. 
She  did  not  seek  solitude.  She  went  about  among  them 
much  as  usual  —  did  her  accustomed  work,  took  charge 
of  the  boy,  and  helped  Hallveig.  Only  the  change  in 
her  voice  and  her  strange,  fixed  look  betrayed  her  grief 
—  a  grief  which  made  Ingolf  fear,  and  troubled  him 
more  than  any  weeping  and  open  despair. 


XI 

The  next  day  at  sunrise  they  were  there.  Helga  was 
supported  by  her  brother  to  shore  on  the  slender  land- 
ing-plank. When  she  stood  on  the  shore  before  Hjor- 
Leif's  point  and  looked  over  towards  the  houses,  her 
strength  failed  her  for  the  second  time.  She  could  do 
no  more.  She  leant  against  her  brother  to  save  herself 
from  falling.  He  put  his  arm  round  her  and  led  her  to 
a  stone  where  she  could  sit  and  recover  her  strength. 
There  she  sat  down,  and  remained  sitting,  staring  out 
over  the  sea,  that  lay  resplendent  in  the  glow  of  sunrise, 
but  her  eyes  saw  nothing.  A  light  morning  breeze 
played  with  her  hair  and  gently  caressed  her  pale  face. 

Ingolf  stood  by  her  side,  waiting.  Since  she  so  much 
wished  to  see  Hjor-Leif  he  would  not  oppose  it,  but  he 
wished  to  follow  her  and  be  near  her. 

Helga  had  forgotten  him,  and  why  she  sat  there. 
For  the  moment  she  remembered  nothing  except  that  she 
was  alone  and  had  Hjor-Leif  no  more.  There  were 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        327 

times  when  this  fact  seemed  incomprehensible.  If  Hjor- 
Leif  was  dead,  why  was  she  alive?  She  did  not  under- 
stand that.  But  so  it  was  —  she  was  alive.  And  die 
she  could  not.  Death  would  not  come  to  her,  though 
she  prayed  for  it  to  all  imaginable  Powers. 

When  Ingolf  had  stood  for  a  while  motionless  by  her 
side,  he  bent  down  over  her  and  said  quietly  that  he  must 
go  for  a  little  to  give  his  men  orders.  Helga  started 
when  he  spoke  to  her,  and  looked  hastily  up  at  him  with 
a  terrified  look  in  her  eyes.  Then  she  came  to  herself, 
remembered  why  she  sat  here,  why  Ingolf  stood  waiting 
for  her,  and  she  seized  his  hand.  She  sat  for  a  while 
holding  it  convulsively  in  hers  and  moaning  softly. 
Then  she  said  in  that  strange,  distant  voice  which  quite 
seemed  to  have  displaced  her  own :  "  Ingolf  —  I  cannot, 
after  all  —  let  me  just  sit.  I  cannot  rise.  Ah,  I  can 
do  nothing,"  she  said,  half-wailing,  and  hid  her  face  in 
her  hands. 

Ingolf  stood  a  little  irresolute ;  then  he  bent  over  her 
and  said  softly :  "  I  will  come  again  and  fetch  you." 

She  nodded  impatiently  with  her  bowed  head,  as  if 
begging  him  only  to  go  —  to  go ! 

As  soon  as  she  no  longer  heard  his  steps  she  began  a 
low,  heart-rending  wail.  Ah,  she  had  no  hope  now. 
Her  heart  was  dead.  But  she  lived,  and  could  not  die. 

Ingolf  went  back  to  the  ship,  helped  Hallveig  and  her 
boy  on  shore,  and  asked  Hallveig  to  look  to  Helga 
while  he  went  and  buried  Hjor-Leif.  Then  he  told  Vifel 
and  several  of  his  men  to  take  spades  and  a  bier  and 
follow  him.  The  others  he  set  to  work  unloading  the 
ship. 


328         THE    SWORN    BROTHERS 

Ingolf  was  quite  composed  now.  The  stamp  of  the 
resolute  firmness,  which  was  the  real  expression  of  his 
character,  was  more  distinct  than  ever  before.  He  had 
reconciled  himself  to  his  brother's  death  as  a  healthy 
man  reconciles  himself  to  the  inevitable.  He  had  sought 
comfort  in  his  faith,  and  had  eradicated  all  despair 
from  his  mind,  so  that  only  a  healthy,  hardening,  bene- 
ficial pain  remained  behind.  He  remembered  the  death- 
rune  among  the  omens  at  the  sacrificial  feast ;  it  had 
then  pointed  at  Hjor-Leif.  Yes,  Fate  shields_ajnan 
till  she  strikgs jjhirn^—  nothing  can  alter  that.  Against 
Fate  even  the  bravest  fight  in  vain.  Not  even  Odin  can 
shake  the  sentence  of  the  Norns. 

Such  were  Ingolf 's  thoughts  as,  with  a  composed 
mind,  he  went  to  carry  out  his  last  duty  to  his  brother. 

There  had  been  an  old  agreement  between  him  and 
Hjor-Leif  that,  if  Ingolf  died  first,  Hjor-Leif  should 
inter  him  in  a  funeral  barrow  with  exact  observation 
of  all  the  ritual  of  the  Ase-religion.  In  return,  Ingolf 
had  pledged  himself,  if  he  were  the  survivor,  to  bury 
Hjor-Leif  in  the  ground  without  any  kind  of  solemnity. 
All  that  Hjor-Leif  wished,  when  he  no  longer  lived,  was 
to  be  buried  in  a  dry  spot,  at  the  depth  of  a  man's 
stature,  and  to  lie  there  with  clean  earth  round  him. 
It  was  no  more  than  reasonable  that  he  should  have  his 
will,  though  Ingolf  in  his  inmost  heart  felt  a  strong 
impulse  to  inter  him  in  a  barrow  and  to  do  him  all  the 
honour  which  became  a  chieftain. 

The  birds  were  singing  in  the  dewy  morning  when  the 
sailcloth  with  which  Vifel  had  covered  Hjor-Leif  was 
lifted.  Their  song  sounded  all  at  once  piercingly  in 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        329 

Ingolf's  ears.  He  stood  for  a  while  and  looked  at  his 
brother's  decomposed  remains.  He  had  seen  many  dead 
men,  without  being  specially  moved  thereby.  But  now 
his  self-control  deserted  him  a  moment.  He  wept. 
When  he  had  grown  calm  again  he  made  the  sign  of  the 
Hammer  over  the  body,  and  said  softly,  as  though  to 
himself :  "  A  mean  fate  here  befell  a  good  man,  that  a 
serf  should  cause  his  death,  and  so  it  will  happen  to  each 
one  who  will  not  sacrifice  to  the  gods." 

Hjor-Leif's  corpse  was  laid  on  the  bier,  and  Ingolf 
covered  it  with  his  cloak.  Then  he  went  on  ahead  up 
to  the  point  to  seek  for  a  burying-place.  Step  by  step 
the  men  carried  his  brother's  body  after  him. 

Ingolf  quickly  found  a  place  towards  the  south  and 
the  sun.  The  grave  was  dug,  and  Hjor-Leif  was  low- 
ered into  it,  wrapped  in  his  brother's  cloak.  Then  they 
cast  clean  earth  over  him,  and  trampled  it  well 
down. 

Ingolf  remained  standing  by  the  grave  till  his  men 
had  gone.  Then  he  spoke  for  the  last  time  to  his  sworn 
brother.  "Hjor-Leif,"  he  said  with  emotion  and  in 
a  natural  tone,  as  though  he  were  quite  sure  of  being 
heard,  "  if  no  duty  had  bound  me  to  life,  I  would  have 
followed  you  in  death.  The  days  are  poor  without  you, 
brother.  But  I  comfort  myself  with  the  thought  that 
we  shall  meet  again  in  Valhalla,  and  that  you  by  that 
time  will  have  made  your  peace  with  the  gods." 

When  Ingolf  had  spoken,  he  took  a  thunder-stone 
which  hung  on  a  chain  round  his  neck,  a  gift  from  his 
mother,  of  whom  he  had  an  indistinct  memory,  pressed 
it  deep  down  in  the  earth,  and  covered  it  up.  Nothing 


330        THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

in  his  eye  was  so  sacred  as  this  lucky  stone.  Therefore 
he  gave  it  to  his  brother  to  take  with  him  on  the  way. 

Ingolf  found  his  sister  where  he  had  left  her.  She  sat 
in  the  same  attitude;  not,  once  had  she  moved  since  he 
left  her.  Her  wailing  had  died  away.  She  sat  silent. 
And  when  he  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder  she  did  not 
start,  only  turned  her  head  quietly,  and  looked  up 
wearily  at  him.  She  tried  to  r^P  but  had  become  stiff 
from  sitting  in  the  same  position.  It  was  some  time  be- 
fore she  could  stand  and  walk.  Ingolf  led  her  gently 
over  the  shore,  up  the  point,  to  Hjor-Leif's  grave.  At 
the  grave  she  remained  standing  motionless,  clinging 
to  his  arm,  and  gazing  down  at  the  brown  scar  in  the 
earth.  For  the  first  time  since  she  had  heard  of  H j  or- 
Leif's  death  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  She  loosed  her 
hold  of  Ingolf's  arm  and  asked  him  impatiently  to 
leave  her. 

When  Ingolf  had  gone,  she  threw  herself  on  the 
grave,  pressed  her  face  down  in  the  loose  earth,  and 
lay  there  weeping,  silently  and  ceaselessly.  Now  she 
could  weep.  .  .  . 

Long  after  Helga  had  wept  all  power  of  weeping  out 
of  her  soul  she  remained  lying  there,  with  her  arms 
thrown  out  as  though  clinging  to  the  earth.  Then  at 
last  she  fell  asleep,  worn  out  with  sorrow  and  fatigue. 

When  she  woke  again  it  was  evening.  She  rose  and 
looked  around  her  in  alarm,  suddenly  afraid  lest  any 
one  should  see  her  lying  thus.  As  she  stood  there  and 
looked  around  her,  she  perceived  a  black  round  patch 
on  the  greensward  a  little  distance  off.  There  had 
burnt  the  fire,  which  about  a  year  ago  she  had  sat 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        331 

gazing  at  from  Ingolf's  point.  .  .  .  Ah,  that  red 
fire.  .  .  . 

And  now  it  was  quenched  .  .  .  quenched  for  ever. 

Helga  sat  down,  looking  alternately  at  the  grave 
and  the  burnt  patch.  Now  and  then  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  But  she  could  weep  no  more. 

Later  in  the  evening  Hallveig  came  silently  and 
sat  down  by  her  side.  ^Jfhey  did  not  speak.  Hallveig 
wept  now  and  then.  Helga  sat  motionless,  gazing  be- 
fore her  with  eyes  that  scorched  and  burned,  but  seeing 
nothing. 

The  two  women  remained  sitting  there  the  whole 
night.  When  sunrise  streaked  the  horizon  next  day 
they  rose  quietly  and  went  silently  homeward  to  the 
houses. 


XII 

Ingolf  sent  his  men  to  search  for  the  Irish  serfs. 

As  the  boats  were  gone,  there  was  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  they  had  sought  flight  by  sea.  And  as  they 
knew  Ingolf  was  in  the  east,  it  was  likely  they  had 
rowed  farther  westward  along  the  coast. 

Ingolf's  men  searched  the  coast  westward  for  many 
days'  journey.  They  saw  nothing  of  the  serfs  any- 
where —  not  even  a  sign  that  they  had  landed.  And 
even  if  they  had  been  drowned,  their  bodies  must  have 
been  cast  ashore.  Neither  did  they  find  the  pillars  of 
Ingolf's  high-seat,  which  they  were  also  looking  for. 

When  they  returned  home  and  told  Ingolf  that  they 


332         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

had  neither  found  the  serfs  nor  the  pillars,  he  said  in 
his  quiet  way :  "  The  pillars  shall  be  found  and  the  serfs 
too,  if  I  have  to  search  the  whole  country."  Ingolf 
sent  Vifel  with  fifteen  men  in  a  boat  out  to  the  islands, 
which  from  the  mountains  near  the  point  were  visible 
in  the  south-west. 

There  Vifel  found  the  Irish  serfs.  They  were  living 
in  caves  scattered  about  on  the  largest  of  the  islands. 
When  they  found  that  they  were  discovered,  panic 
seized  them,  and  they  did  not  even  try  to  offer  resist- 
ance. When  they  saw  Ingolf's  men  coming  over  the 
island  they  scattered  in  wild  confusion.  Some  of  them 
were  cut  down  while  flying;  others,  among  whom  was 
Duftak,  flung  themselves  down  from  the  cliffs  and  pro- 
montories and  perished. 

The  women,  whom  the  serfs  had  taken  with  them 
out  to  the  islands,  and  the  most  obstinate  of  whom  were 
still  kept  bound,  were  able  to  tell  how  Hjor-Leif  and 
their  husbands  had  been  murdered.  They  spoke  coolly 
and  calmly  of  the  matter.  They  had  forgotten  how 
to  weep  and  how  to  rejoice. 

Vifel  buried  the  serfs  on  the  edge  of  the  shore,  where 
the  ground  is  dry  at  ebb  and  covered  at  full  tide,  as 
criminals  should  be  buried. 

Then  he  searched  each  creek  and  promontory  in 
vain.  The  pillars  had  not  drifted  to  shore  there.  Af- 
terwards he  distributed  his  men  in  three  boats  with  the 
women  and  the  valuables  which  the  serfs  had  stolen  and 
taken  with  them  to  the  islands,  among  them  Hjor-Leif 's 
costly  sword.  Ever  since  then  the  islands  have  been 
called  the  Westman  Islands  after  the  Irish  serfs 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         333 

Ingolf  met  the  boats  down  on  the  shore.  Vifel  told 
him  of  the  death  of  the  serfs,  recounted  the  women's 
narrative  of  Hjor-Leif's  murder,  and  handed  him  the 
sword. 

Ingolf  took  it  cautiously.  He  remembered  the  story 
about  Hjor-Leif's  fight  with  the  dead  man,  who  was 
reported  to  have  said  that  a  charm  attached  to  the 
sword  whereby  everyone  who  killed  with  it  should  him- 
self die  by  it.  Ingolf  had  comforted  himself  with  the 
thought  that  so  long  as  Hjor-Leif  had  not  killed  any- 
one with  the  sword  there  was  no  danger  for  him  from 
it.  Now,  however,  Hjor-Leif  had  been  slain  by  it. 
Perhaps  the  saying  meant  that  whoever  possessed  that 
sword  should  perish  by  it.  At  any  rate  he  would  not 
have  it.  Sorcery  was  not  to  be  trifled  with.  Ingolf 
went  straight  to  Hjor-Leif's  grave  with  the  sword 
and  stuck  it  in  the  earth  so  that  the  golden  handle 
projected  from  the  black  mould.  It  was  the  only  thing 
left  by  his  brother  which  he  was  unwilling  to  receive. 

There  was  no  danger  of  anyone  taking  it  there.  His 
men  kept  at  a  distance  from  Hjor-Leif's  grave.  They 
asserted  that  he  walked  again,  and  believed  that  Helga 
met  the  dead  man  when  she  went  up  there  at  night, 
as  she  often  did. 

Ingolf  did  not  share  their  superstition  in  that  respect. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  well  understood  how  Helga's 
appearance  might  give  rise  to  such  thoughts  in  his 
men.  She  looked  more  like  a  dead  man's  bride  than  a 
young  living  woman.  Her  fair  hair  had  become  white, 
and  hung  dishevelled  about  her  head.  The  light  of  her 
glance  was  quenched,  and  the  skin  that  stretched  over 


334        THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

her  wan,  emaciated  face  was  grey  and  without  bright- 
ness or  colour.  The  only  signs  of  life  she  gave  were 
eating  and  breathing.  She  carefully  took  charge  of 
Thorsten,  with  a  peculiar  absent  tenderness,  since 
Hallveig  had  now  a  little  girl  to  watch  over.  She  did 
nothing  else. 

That  summer  and  the  following  winter  Ingolf  re- 
mained by  Hjor-Leif's  point.  The  next  spring  he  de- 
parted and  went  farther  westward.  He  stopped  at  a 
river  whose  mouth  formed  a  comparatively  safe  har- 
bour. Good  landing-places  were  generally  scarce  on 
these  shores.  Thither  he  had  his  ships  brought.  Some 
way  inland,  west  of  the  river,  he  built  winter  dwellings 
under  a  hill,  which  was  named  Ingolf 's  Hill.  In  the 
summer,  as  always,  he  had  his  men  out  to  search  for  the 
pillars.  When  they  came  back  they  were  able  to  inform 
him  that  they  had  reached  a  great  promontory. 
North  of  the  mountains  there  was  a  broad  fjord. 

In  the  winter,  Ingolf  sent  Vifel  and  Karle  to  search 
the  coast-line  north  of  the  hills.  Out  on  a  barren 
promontory  in  a  creek,  which  because  of  some  warm, 
denesly  smoking  springs  in  the  neighbourhood  received 
the  name  "  Rogvig  "  ("  smoke-creek  "),  Yifel  and  Karle 
at  last  found  the  pillars.  They  had  drifted  ashore  just 
below  a  little  rounded  height.  On  the  height  there  sat 
an  eagle.  It  did  not  move  when  Vifel  and  Karle  ap- 
proached. It  sat  there  still  when  they  went  away,  after 
having  secured  the  pillars.  Vifel  and  Karle  were  much 
afraid  of  the  eagle.  Only  once  before  had  they  been 
equally  afraid  —  that  was  when  the  brazen  voice  from 
the  monks'  house  had  cast  them  to  the  ground.  Vifel 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS        335 

and  Karle  went  back  and  informed  Ingolf  of  their  find. 
Then  Ingolf  was  glad.  Now  he  knew  where  he  should 
dwell.  Now  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  meaning  again  in 
his  life.  He  immediately  arranged  a  great  sacrificial 
feast,  and  made  sacrifices  to  Odin  and  Thor  and  gave 
them  thank-offerings. 

When  he  heard  about  the  eagle  he  became  thoughtful. 
Neither  he  nor  anyone  else  believed  that  the  eagle's 
having  sat  there  was  accidental.  There  was  in  In- 
golf's  mind  not  the  least  doubt  that  the  eagle  had  really 
been  his  old  father,  who,  in  a  shape  corresponding  to  his 
name,  had  been  sent  by  Odin  to  guide  and  keep  watch 
over  the  pillars. 

Never  again  was  an  eagle  seen  on  that  height,  which 
received  the  name  "  Orn's  Height." 

As  soon  as  spring  came,  and  the  roads  were  passable, 
Ingolf  left  Ingolf's  Hill  and  went  over  to  Rogvig. 
The  place  where  Ingolf's  pillars  had  drifted  ashore  was 
a  large,  bare  promontory.  The  district  was  stony,  and 
there  was  not  much  pasture-land.  By  far  the  greatest 
number  of  the  parts  he  had  traversed  had  been  better 
and  more  suitable  for  settling.  But  here  it  was  his 
lot  to  dwell.  And,  besides,  he  could  take  possession  of 
as  large  a  territory  as  he  chose,  and  build  houses  for 
his  people  and  cattle-sheds  where  he  found  fertile  soil. 

Already  that  summer  Ingolf  began  to  mark  out  his 
lands.  For  himself  and  his  posterity  he  took  possession 
of  the  whole  of  the  great  promontory,  from  the  river- 
mouth  where  his  ships  lay  up  along  its  curving  course 
and  across  the  hills  to  a  fjord  on  the  north  side  of  the 
promontory,  which  was  named  Hvalfjord,  between  two 


336        THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

rivers,  which  received  the  names  of  Brynjedal  River 
and  Okse  River. 

Many  of  Ingolf's  men  were  dissatisfied  at  having  to 
settle  in  this  unfertile  region.  The. serf  Karle,  in  great 
vexation,  ran  away  with  a  serf-woman.  Ingolf  found 
them  long  afterwards  settled  inland. 

Ingolf  gave  land  to  his  freed  serf,  Vifel.  He  settled 
on  Vifestofte,  and  Vifel's  Hill  bears  his  name.  He  be- 
came a  well-to-do  man.  The  next  summer  Ingolf  went 
to  Norway  to  fetch  timber  for  his  houses.  He  built 
a  residence  at  Rogvig,  which  was  not  at  all  inferior  to 
the  chief  seat  of  the  family  at  Dalsfjord  in  Norway. 
To  the  residence  was  attached  a  temple  which  in  its 
size  and  splendid  equipment,  did  not  fall  far  short  of 
that  at  Gaulum.  Ingolf  was  faithful  to  his  gods  and 
showed  them  great  honour.  Since  they  had  given  him  a 
new  place  of  abode  he  felt  confidently  assured  that  he 
had  regained  their  favour. 

Ingolf,  who  daily  had  his  sister  Helga  before  his 
eyes,  was  often  reminded  of  his  sworn  brother,  Hjor- 
Leif.  Now  he  understood  much  which  he  had  not  un- 
derstood before,  and  caught  a  sight  of  the  connection 
between  events,  which  taken  separately  seemed  acci- 
dental. He  remembered  the  beggar's  words :  "  Point 
and  blade !  "  Now  he  understood  what  the  beggar  had 
meant.  It  was  owing  to  Hjor-LeiPs  prompting  that 
they  had  journeyed  to  Iceland.  Hjor-Leif  was  really 
the  first  occupant,  even  though  he  had  not  come  to 
settle  there  permanently.  Fate,  the  blind  and  immov- 
able, had  been  out  after  him  prematurely.  Ingolf's 
heart  was  moved  when  he  remembered  how  Hjor-Leif 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         337 

had  grown  fond  of  this  land  from  the  first.  It  was 
accordingly  Hjor-Leif  whom  Iceland  had  first  taken 
in  its  embrace.  Hjor-Leif  was  the  first  who  had 
consecrated  the  soil  of  the  new  land  with  flesh  and 
blood.  Had  the  gods,  or  perhaps  the  guardian  spirits 
of  the  country,  claimed  him  as  a  sacrifice?  It  was  at 
any  rate  a  great  sacrifice.  But  Ingolf  did  not  dare  to 
find  fault  with  the  gods.  Already  the  year  after  In- 
golf had  settled  in  Rogvig  people  began  to  flock 
to  the  country.  They  were  for  the  most  part  Nor- 
wegian chieftains  who  could  not  come  to  terms  with 
King  Harald.  Ingolf  gave  several  of  the  settlers  land 
in  his  territory. 

Among  the  first  settlers  was  Hallveig's  brother,  Lopt, 
who  was  called  Lopt  the  Old,  and  many  of  his  family, 
which  was  a  good  and  noble  one. 

Haasten,  Atle  Jarl's  son,  was  also  among  the  first 
occupants.  He  had  at  last  been  obliged  to  leave  his 
own  lands  and  property  and  flee  the  country  to  save 
his  life.  He  took  some  land,  guided  by  his  high-seat 
pillars,  due  east  of  the  river  which  bordered  Ingolf  s 
territory.  Haasten  lost  his  ship  when  landing,  but 
his  property  and  men  were  saved. 

The  very  next  winter  he  visited  Ingolf  in  Rogvig.  On 
the  evening  of  Haasten's  coming,  Ingolf  sat  as  usual 
in  the  high-seat  with  his  men  at  the  table  round  him,  a 
step  lower.  The  fire  burned  cheerfully  on  the  hearth- 
stones and  spread  a  genial  and  penetrating  glow.  The 
coarsely  carved  images  of  the  gods  on  the  strongly 
illumined  age-browned  pillars  of  the  high-seat  laughed 
broadly  in  the  glaring  light.  The  talk  was  lively 


338         THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

around  the  tables,  and  the  beer- jugs  were  diligently 
emptied  and  filled.  Ingolf  was  not  grudging  of  beer 
to  his  men.  He  sat  with  a  contented  look  in  his  peace- 
ful blue  eyes  and  listened  to  their  talk.  He  himself 
spoke  but  seldom,  except  when  questioned. 

Then  suddenly  there  came  three  knocks  at  the  door. 
All  the  talking  round  the  tables  ceased.  Ingolf  turned 
his  head  and  gave  a  signal  to  the  man  at  the  door.  The 
bolt  was  pushed  to  one  side,  and  in  stepped  a  tall,  erect, 
fair-bearded  man  in  a  red  silk  cloak  with  a  golden  hel- 
met on  his  head,  followed  by  three  other  men. 

Ingolf  immediately  recognized  Haasten,  in  spite  of 
his  beard  and  the  ageing  and  weary  expression  of  his 
thin  face.  He  sprang  up  and  went  to  meet  him.  He 
was  too  much  moved  to  speak.  For  a  while  the  two 
former  friends  stood  silent,  pressing  each  other's  hands 
and  looking  each  other  straight  in  the  eyes.  Then  they 
fell  into  each  other's  arms.  When,  shortly  after,  they 
sat  side  by  side  in  the  high-seat  and  had  drunk  to  each 
other,  Ingolf  said :  "  I  did  not  know,  Haasten,  that 
you  were  on  this  road." 

Haasten  smiled  his  weary,  steady  smile,  and  an- 
swered :  "  Yes,  King  Harald  has  driven  me  from  the 
country,  as  I  in  my  time  drove  you  two  brothers.  Have 
you  forgiven  me  that,  Ingolf?  " 

"  I  have  never  been  angered  with  you  for  it,"  Ingolf 
answered. 

They  spoke  together  of  many  things,  and  their  talk 
was  light  and  untroubled.  There  was  in  Haasten's 
attitude  towards  Ingolf  the  same  deference  that  all 
other  chieftains  who  came  there  showed  the  quiet,  con- 


THE    SWORN   BROTHERS         339 

fident,  simple,  taciturn  man,  who  by  his  example  had 
drawn  all  the  others  to  this  new  land.  Ingolf  was 
indeed  his  friend,  and  as  such  he  showed  him  confidence, 
but  he  was  also  the  first  settler  in  the  land,  and  as  such 
he  evinced  for  him  a  great  and  undisguised  deference. 

They  talked  of  Hjor-Leif.  "  It  happened  as  I  fore- 
told," said  Haasten,  and  smiled  sadly.  "  The  mistle- 
toe branch  at  last  struck  the  invulnerable." 

"  We  all  owe  Odin  a  death,"  said  Ingolf  quietly,  and 
drew  a  deep  sigh.  "  It  is  most  often  the  survivors 
whose  lot  is  the  hardest." 

His  look  involuntarily  sought  the  women's  dais. 
There  sat  Helga,  gazing  before  her  without  expression 
in  her  eyes,  with  his  son,  Thorsten,  in  her  lap. 

Ingolf  pointed  out  the  boy  to  Haasten.  "  His  name 
is  built  of  Thor's  name  and  yours,"  he  said  in  a  gentler 
voice.  While  Ingolf  talked,  he  noticed  how  attentively 
his  son's  quiet  blue  eyes  dwelt  on  the  high-seat  pillars. 
Thus  he  had  himself  sat  as  a  boy,  he  remembered  sud- 
denly. And  now  he  met  his  son's  look.  Were  Thor- 
sten's  thoughts  something  like  his  had  been  when  he  was 
a  child? 

Haasten  had  been  sitting  in  silence,  watching  the  boy. 
Then  he  said  suddenly :  "  He  must  have  been  born 
soon  after  that  winter." 

"  The  winter  after,"  Ingolf  answered,  a  little  curtly. 

"  He  bears  Thor's  name  and  mine,"  Haasten  con- 
tinued thoughtfully.  "  May  that  bring  him  good 
luck ! " 

He  was  silent  a  short  time.  Then  he  asked :  "  But 
who  is  the  woman?  " 


340        THE    SWORN   BROTHERS 

"  My  sister,  Helga,"  answered  Ingolf  quietly.  The 
two  friends  sat  silent  a  long  time. 

Then  Haasten  beckoned  to  the  boy,  and  when  he 
came  he  took  him  between  his  knees,  and  looked  closely 
at  him.  "  You  have  honest,  intelligent  eyes ;  you  will  be 
a  brave  man,"  he  said  at  last,  and  stroked  his  fair  hair. 
Then  he  took  a  heavy  gold  ring  off  his  arm  and  gave  it 
to  Thorsten. 

"  That  is  because  you  are  in  some  part  my  name- 
sake," he  explained,  smiling  at  the  boy,  who  stood  with 
the  ring  in  his  hand,  staring  alternately  at  gift  and  giver. 
Thorsten  tried  the  ring  on  his  slender  arm.  "  It  is 
too  large,"  he  declared,  a  little  offended.  Then  he  sud- 
denly brightened  up.  "  But  it  will  fit  me  well  enough 
by  the  time  father  is  dead,  and  I  sit  in  the  high-seat." 

Both  Ingolf  and  Haasten  laughed.  Thorsten  went 
to  show  Helga  and  his  mother  the  ring.  Then  silence 
came  over  the  two  friends.  Shortly  after,  Ingolf  pro- 
posed that  they  should  drink  to  their  dead  brother. 
The  friends'  glances  met  over  the  rim  of  the  drinking- 
horns.  There  were  tears  in  their  eyes. 

They  sat  late  that  night  and  drank  and  talked  to- 
gether. They  were  very  happy  to  sit  side  by  side  again. 
The  solitude  which  had  threatened  to  imprison  each 
severally  was  suddenly  banished.  Now  they  had  each 
other  again,  and  felt  the  joy  of  friendship. 

The  fire  burned  yellow  and  brightly  on  the  hearth- 
stones. In  its  genial  warm  light  the  images  of  the 
gods  on  the  carved  pillars  looked  down  as  if  following 
all  that  passed  with  slow  content,  and  waiting,  calmly 
wise,  for  what  should  come. 

THE   END 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

IliHWIII 

A     000035745     9 


